Monday, August 04, 2008

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

I've been working hard all year for little or no pay. I'm finding myself exhausted and depressed pretty often, even though I do love working with the animals. I just find myself pooped and stressed a lot.

So, imagine my delight when Mrs. Nator said we should take a vacation. As is our usual way, she gave me a budget, and I researched places we could go. Then she upped the budget, and I gave a rundown of more places we could afford. We narrowed down the list, and I started to get excited. Maybe we could be on a beach for a week - even one with sea turtles!

But then she went away for a week. I told her to do it. She'd been unable to focus at work with all the crazy stuff going on there, shortly after her grandmother's passing. I told her she needed a week off not thinking about work, just relaxing and bonding with her mother down in Atlanta. And so, after much prodding, she went. She slept. She swam in the pool. She read by the pond. She went shopping and saw a movie with her mother. It was just what she needed.

And then she came back and decided that we couldn't afford a vacation, with our finances and employment (and the economy) all in flux, nowadays. Maybe we should just both take a week down at her mom's to relax, she suggested.

Her mom's is nice. But it is not really a vacation. Her mom and I love each other, but it is still her house. We still would be guests of hers and her husband's, subject to whatever their schedule and car availability allow. And forget feeling comfortable walking around scantily dressed, much less having any real couple time, with both Mrs. N's mom and the rather conservative stepfather in the house. Yes, it may be considerably more relaxing than staying in Brooklyn. A vacation? Not so much.

So, I am disappointed. So disappointed, I feel a little sick. I knew realistically that we shouldn't spend the money, and was surprised when Mrs. N even suggested it. I know that most people I know aren't even fortunate to be going on a vacation this year, much less those who are students. Still, I spent several weeks researching and planning, and I got my hopes up. Now I am sad, and I'm not sure how to readjust my expectations, however realistic and sane it may be to do so.

Moreover, I don't want to get Mrs. N all stressed out again by pouting and whinging about something I know it would be unwise to spend our money on, anyway, especially since she is the breadwinner of the family, now. But I kind of can't help it. I don't even know how to face my next semester, where my schedule and classes are going to be considerably harder than this year, without getting some quality relaxation time.

Perhaps vacation is just a state of mind, and I should be able to have one right in my living room. But I'm not feeling it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I think a happy medium is in order. Perhaps, since you can afford the airfare to the dirty south, you should go somewhere cheaper to get to and stay in a rented cabin or something. Or do you know anyone who's family has a vacation home of some sort? I can recommend a great gay gay gay gay gay hotel in the Catskills that's only about 100 bucks a night and a car rental away...

Heather said...

I vote for a week in Niagara Falls. Plenty of reasonably priced hotels on both sides of the border (but you'd probably want to stay on the Canadian side...) or you could go a bit further out of town and stay in Niagara-on-the-Lake which is ridiculously scenic and gorgeous.

Amtrak from Penn Station to NF - the Canadian side - is $160 RT for a coach seat.

Besides the Falls attractions, there are the casinos, all the goofy museums like Ripley's Believe it or Not and the wax museums etc, and loads to do in NotL like rent bikes and ride around.

Seriously, you oughta look into it.

Alternatively, you could take the train up to Rochacha and stay at Chez Smith - can't beat the price but I warn you, Chloe leaves massive amounts of cat hair everywhere. I've never lived with a cat who shed so dang much. Besides cat hair, Chez Smith offers a deck with a view (pond and small woods - we watched a deer family enjoying their dinner pondside earlier tonight), entertainment provided by a 5 year old diva, transportation in a roomy minivan (snacks included) and lots of parks in which one can wander amongst the nature (say, with one's camera) or just relax and enjoy the view... Plus restaurants and movie theaters (with quaint, upstate prices!) and shopping as well......

(((hugs)))