No, not the reality TV shows on MTV, I'm talkin' about the real world. You know, waking up in the morning, going to work, coming home, making dinner, going to bed, waking up, going to work. My real world has changed over the years. From daughter, to wife to mother, to having to go to work to help support our family after my husband retired from the military. Then to mother-in-law, then Grandma. At this stage in my life, I am thankful that I am able to work part time and then care for Jackson on my days off as needed. I love that fact that I can be there for my kids and help raise this little boy. I need to focus on that, otherwise I find myself longing for and grieving for the fantasy world of vacations and I'm referring to a permanent vacation.
Last June we spent 7 glorious days on the island of Kaua'i in Hawai'i. An actual tropical paradise that words cannot describe. We did lots of activities, like an ocean raft trip to explore the incredible Na Pali coastline where we toured an ocean formed cave and an ancient Hawai'ian fishing village where we snorkeled near the shore. The raft jumped huge swells before the waves went crashing to the shore line...I screamed with fear and delight. The sea water stung my face and my eyes, but I could not get the smile off my face!
We took a zipline tour that included a two mile kayak trip up a calm water jungle stream, site of the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park. It was definitely not wet and wild! We hiked to swing on a rope into a jungle pool like Tarzan. Then hiked on to the covered wagon ride that took us through the most beautiful range of the Kipu Ranch, which is a 4000 acre working cattle ranch where we were met by wild pigs and peacocks waiting for the food the guides carried with them. The wagon dropped us off to hike down to the zipline ground level fight deck that wrapped around a giant Swiss Family Robinson style banyon tree with a view of the whole course surrounded by remote jungle. I actually put on the harness, they clipped me to the zip cable and whoooooooshhh...I stepped off screaming from the the launch deck and flew at about 35 mph over streams and a rushing waterfall with a canopy of forest below me...my scream turned into laughter, then woohoooos as it all came to an end much to soon. We hiked then to the Kipu Falls where we had the option of jumping off the waterfall, or swinging on the rope and dropping in to the pond, I chose to watch the others and their jumps and just drink in the beauty of it all.
During our relax time, that's exactly what I did. I couldn't take my eyes of the scenery, I wanted to stay in each place forever, I didn't want it to end. We visited and hiked to 2 nude beaches. Being a professional beach bum would be the perfect job for me.
I cried when it was time to leave. I had to run down to the beach off of our room and just stand there and dig my feet into the sand...NO, don't make me go! Please don't make me go!
But that's not the real world is it? Vacations seem to be just figments of my imagination, they are over before they begin. I may as well just rent videos of places that I'd like to visit and say I was there.
Oh my, reality just started crying in the other room. It's Jackson, my grandson. I'll go pick him up and gaze into that face of reality and soak in the beauty of it all, his giggle my paradise, his chatter my ocean breeze.
I think I'll be OK. 