When I think of vacationing, I think of going to the beach with my family, or for a family reunion during the summer. Vacationing with the Rices is one part lounging, one part boot-camp: we wake up when we want to, we go to bed early or fall asleep to a movie, we lay on the beach (with copious amounts of sunscreen and large hats) reading books, we eat delicious food and have lots of snacks. But we also swim, hike, bike, play tennis, beach volleyball, kayak, surf, snorkel and sail. The older I get the more I realize that, although I am uniquely me, I do fit the pattern of my family to a T.
Take this week for instance. It's the first week this summer that I haven't had to keep all guns blazing in relationship to my body and my voice. I thought I'd go out and see some of the sights of the city. I wandered off to see Roosevelt Island on Monday, but between the humidity and the heat, my brain stopped working and I literally couldn't figure out how to get to the darn Island. Which is ridiculous because its not that difficult. So, I went home and just decided to not worry about having an agenda for the week and letting myself do whatever I wanted.
I apparently want a Rice family vacation. What have I been doing? Running in the morning. Swimming miles at night. In between, sleeping, reading, eating delicious food, tanning, taking naps, going for leisurely walks nowhere in particular, avoiding the subway, and staying cool.
I've also spent a ton of time praying this week, which honestly feels a bit decadent. I've calculated it out, and it feels like I've been in forward motion for a year-- from the moment the great move of 2009 started, I don't think I've paused for much other than a quick breath. This feels like the moment, so I'm taking it. Staycation or retreat, it's a good week.
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