This is my first travel blog, though this is most certainly not my first traveling experience. I grew up in Michigan, and have visited Ohio, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, California, and Key West. Key West was my last mom-cation destination.
Maybe I should explain the term mom-cation. Of course, if you are a single mother....or single parent period, you may already have a pretty good idea what this is. For those who are not, it is a period of time dedicated to the self in order to regroup, relax, and reaffirm that we are doing our best. Stress is a killer, and it is my firm belief as a stress management specialist each and everyone of us need to put as much emphasis on our mental health as we do on our physical health. I love my kids, but being the only decision maker, only bread winner, and only parent in our little family unit the stress tends to build.
The trip to Key West was a dual purpose trip; neither purpose had anything to do with partying it up on Duval Street. The change in lattitude certainly changed my attitude, and it reaffirmed my belief that I would thrive in island life. As soon as I was on that little island I knew where I belonged. Maybe not on the party island, but most definitely on one of the keys. My family, who are helping me take care of the boys while I go on mom-cations, get the strong impression that I may not return the next time I head to the islands. I tell them not to fear, as long as I leave my kids and my shoes I am coming back. That isn't quite enough though, so this year I cannot travel so far away from home.
After much consideration of all of my Pacific Northwest options, I decided on a coastal drive. I have family in California I can visit. So the plan this year is to drive over the Oregon mountain ranges to the Oregon coast, Florence to be precise. I will stay the night there in a nice hotel over looking the Siuslaw River to relax and prepare for my drive the next day. Shortly before sunrise I will get on the road, most likely spending sunrise on the South Jetty. I will drive down the Pacific coast until sunset, then head over to Napa, California for some much needed warmth and visiting time with my aunty. I am also taking many pictures along the way, through the mountains as well as the temperant rain forest in Western Oregon, the ocean, sunset and sunrise, and anything else that catches my eye as I travel. I know most people do not look forward to all the driving involved in a trip like this, but it is the driving that I need to help rejuvinate my mind.
The trip starts in 10 days, but I have mom-cation fever and wish it was tomorrow I was leaving. I have 40 hours left at work, and 9 days left of this class I am in. It is so close I can taste it. I am ending my mom-cation with another intense tattoo session, and hopefully my upper sleeve will finally be finished and I will be able to move on to my next artist. I like to collect art from various tattoo artists. Once this particular tattoo is finished (3rd year of working on it) I will start getting a tattoo from every mom-cation I can manage to take.
| [blog=690974] | [blogger=229372] |
