There is nothing as exciting as when we start months ahead of time to plan on getting away from it all. We call this a vacation. There are some people that at a moment's notice are able to take a mini-vacation. If we just have a break for a day's outing or weekend, we can leave our ordinary routine behind and come home feeling cheerful and ready to begin our week again.
What are we all looking for on these brief trips? Some of us just want to see another dimension of life where fun and the joy of the occasion are paramount and leave their cares behind. It seems that our attention is directed to new sights, sounds, and people, that do not seem to live in our own small world. The visit seems to transport us from our normal way of handling life to stimulating activities for our mind and body to participate in by just slipping away for a brief time. Just walking into a museum, we become in touch with the creative art world that many people have left us. The highlight of their life may be that one painting we are presently staring at from a distance.
Our vacations do vary with the amount of time, money, and the tuning into exactly what our fantasy is at the moment. There are those that are able to have many adventures when they retire from their life-long profession. They see lands they have only read about in books or seen glimpses of on a television program. Some people want to return to their roots and see the countries where their ancestors once lived. Decisions are made to use various modern means of transportation, and within hours, there are family gatherings and hello being spoken in a different tongue.
A person's ability to reach out to others does not close down just because their last work day arrives, because we never go downhill unless we give up. Even those that retire on a fixed income can still take free courses at colleges and be able to use special discounted rates at amusement facilities and restaurants.
We all have our assigned tasks to perform in this life whether we chose them or they were assigned to us, but we, too, have the ability to make those leisure hours ripe with with excitement of something new and challenging. Our hobbies and pets provide added pleasure, and we can fill moments of solitude with crafts and projects we have planned for years. Our vacations are memorable, and we must be sure to capture each special person and pleasure as we take photographs to etch those events in our hearts. It is a process of learning on vacations for we must share ourselves in thought and actions on the fantasy brick road that we choose for ourselves.
Plan to have, and fulfill your hopes, vacations would be the icing on your cake. Have fun. We are looking forward to ours, too! 
1993 Carol Ann
Garretson All Rights Reserved
