Decisions Decisions!

 
 

Now for a little information. In order to get a vacation for the Summer it has to be requested by December 1.  Therefore my decision about when to go had to be made right after Thanksgiving. As  mentioned in a previous post Australia was on the list, so were South Africa, Barbados, Costa del Sole, Paris, Provence. There may have been even more, but this was the list I faced the Friday after Thanksgiving.

It seemed that to be fair to those I work with no  more than 3 weeks off would be taken by me.( only 2 nurses could be on vacation at one time). The days of July18- August 7 were chosen  and approved. That alone kicked South Africa and Australia off the list. It takes 2 days to get to them and 2 back....Not the kind of vacation I was looking for... long trip in a tourist class plane seat with layovers ....Nope. Another minus the airfare...ridiculously high.

One of my most favorite trips included a week in Paris. Lovely City, but not even the Parisians like it much in Summer....So off it came. Provence and Costa del Sol...would love to rent a villa with a large group of  friends in either place we all would have a lovely time that way. While thinking this through  it really became apparent to me that I wanted low key, chill, and easy, not a that kind of outing at all. ...beach, ocean, shade, hammocks, iced drinks with coconut and umbrellas, palm trees, casual,  maybe some Reggae. I was looking for.........

.

Barbados

Another reason for a trip to Barbados being my vacation choice: I have a couple of great Facebook friends from Barbados.We had "met" over several years and most were people that I exchanged views and thoughts, photos, songs, and news-clips with on a mostly daily basis.  A Virtual FB friend  Brad and I were chatting about my upcoming vacation. When I suggested visiting he gave me an enthusiastic positive response, letting me know he thought I would really love Barbados. When asked the others agreed.. During dinner one night with a fabulous woman named Sue, the only Bajan FB friend I had really seen  in NY,.as an aside,  we had met when Bobbi (another virtual  Bajan friend who I really look forward to seeing!) suggested we friend each other. Sue and I were instant Sisters.  Sue was organizing a group  to Barbados during Crop Over, and the dates overlapped my vacation time! There was a whole list of places to stay and things to do to choose from and it was strictly a la carte...Could be as busy or as at leisure as I wanted to be and this group already had a leader. So we started to talk and laugh and plan  about it over dinner one night and then chatted some more...More of the Bajan group chimed in all with plans for me and things I must do and see. More dinners with Sue and exchanges with all the above ........OK I am in...Lets go!

Winter Break - Atlantic City

 The urge to gamble is so universal and its practice is so pleasurable, that I assume it must be evil.  ~

I was still pondering the goal of vacationing in Australia when I got a wonderful call right in  the middle of a thaw. My Niece and Nephew in-law ( M&M) were leaving their  Florida Sunshine and Warmth to spend time in AC...They had a 2 bedroom suite reserved... would I like to join them? Yes! Thank you!  Got an extra 2 days off and made plans to join them for a long weekend. AC is about a 3 hour drive. Didn't want to do that. So looked around for a bus. Not hard to find in NYC.Found Megabus, got a schedule, made reservations, and let M & M know when I would be arriving.

The bus left from the Port Authority. This is a huge and complicated structure. Buses leave her continuously for all parts of the Country. It is multi level and 3 City blocks long.If one is not careful getting lost is not a hard thing to accomplish.....Naturally I had that pleasure...Totally turned around and in the wrong building. Since its a given that no one else had a clue where bus # 302 on level 3...er ..3and 1/2....So like any smart person, I got outside the building walked around to the front and got directions from the woman in the booth. I am convinced she know everything there is to know about that building and all the buses leaving. With her help the bus was found by me. I even had time to get a bottle of water before we left exactly on time...non stop ride, AC here I come!

As the schedule said 3 hours later I was in the parking lot at the Taj Mahal Hotel and saw  M &M were waving at me through the glass. One more thing happened before I got off..A representative from the Hotel/Casino welcomed all of us to AC by giving each of us a gift card that more than covered the round trip bus fare. That was a welcome surprise. More about that later.( Remember if you are in NY and want to go comfortably and FREE to AC, find  Megabus).Now I was happy to hug and get hugged by M&M and go into the hotel. Beautiful space bigger than my apartment back in Manhattan, great rooms, views of the Atlantic and the company of two people I really love. This is what I needed! We chilled for a few hours and caught up on lots of news. Then out into the Winter Sunshine.

A nice 2 hour long,  bracing walk on the windy and freezing Boardwalk including a run through the sand to touch the bitter cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and my being was totally refreshed and renewed. If this small but wonderful interlude helped me so much, what would a long Vacation do for me? Of course the fact that I was with people I love and who love me helped more than anything. But I wanted a different kind of get away....

I couldn't remember when I had taken more than 10 days off to vacation. Also it had been way too long since it was to a new place. Adventure! To feel free and just enjoy each day without any hindrance....ahhhhhhh.....think I must make this happen...How much time could I take off? How much money did I have? Where to go?Very important questions. Lots of things to look at and much decision needed.....and the deadline for vacations the second third of the year fast approaching.....Only thing I was sure of......It was going to be warm there.....No skying, Alaska, or Iceland or Greenland ( all places I want to go)..Not this time.

 Mean time in AC its after a lovely dinner at a local Italian Restaurant that folks at the front desk of the Hotel told us about. The recommendation? "We go there".  Great food,  little money and friendly helpful people both customer and workers alike." Atlantic City Italian! What nice homey and warm place. When in AC please drop in, you will be happy you did.

Now .....where is that Casino gift card? Got it! Taj here we come. Like a moth to a flame. The Taj Mahal is a big noisy place. Just what was wanted. I was at a slot that "felt" right after a quick walk around to "feel" the machines.  In went the card...less than 2 minutes later. Jackpot!..WOW!!...Now, do you know anyone that leaves a Casino in less than 5 minutes?..............Me neither!! Still don't. All I can add is that after several hours of great fun, winning, losing and much cheering by all that surrounded me I still left with much more money than what the card was worth!! The sounds, bells, smell of a casino cheered me up. My smile was intact and there was even laughter in my soul. Have to admit that I really like the vibe in a Casino..Doesn't even matter if I am playing or not. The air seems to be alive with hope, fun and the sounds of bells and laughter. Perhaps the fact that most of the times I have left a casino there was more cash in my pocket than there was on the way in may play a part? True statement!

The rest of the weekend was a delight and passed way to quickly. More boardwalk, some shopping, and lots of shared talk and laughter. I don't get to see M&M often enough, and always enjoy my time with them. Alas all too soon I was back on the bus, waving goodby and speeding towards Manhattan...On the way I pulled out my laptop and started to Google......:)

Just saw this and thought it appropriate to add...Enjoy!

Take One: Guatamala here I come......

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

The Winter days continued, with major a snowstorm of more than 2 feet, followed by another major snowstorm...followed by.....(sigh). My world was very monochromatic...greyish hues. So was my mood. The need for something other than my surroundings on which to focus was becoming very clear to me. My friends noticed the change, that my usual sunny disposition was eroding with each snowflake that landed on my patio.

A good friend Cynthia told me about her volunteer opportunity in Guatemala scheduled for May. A Dental Clinic for kids in a remote area. I am a Registered Nurse, but would be working to assist the dentists. Volunteers paid their way and worked most of the day; but there would be time to explore the area and a day or two before and after in Antigua......OK...... My reaction? "Sign me UP"! There would be forms to fill out, classes to be attended and shots to be had. No problem, let's go! My schedule now included these 2 weeks as "vacation". This new interest sparked lots of reading and internet exploration. Cynthia and I had several great conversations about this while sharing dinner, wine and news of life in general.

The more I learned the more excited I became. Cynthia is experienced is this area,  has volunteered for several years and now leads  missions in Nepal, Somalia, and other parts of the world. Guatemala is considered "easy", because it is so close, and "only" 2 weeks, I was totally psyched...Could not wait to start the whole process.  The color of my world now had some light and green in it, my smile returned. Yes, Yes, Yes!....Then....the BAD news....all slots were filled, in fact overfilled. Should have signed up earlier. Maybe next year.......Crash!!..Sigh.....Sob....Grey world returns.....

OK..enough of this sadness.  Get yourself together Woman! There other things to do and places to go.....so......Now what?

In the Beginning: The Genesis of a Stressed Out Woman in the City

"Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The dreamer must awaken."  Frank Herbert

How do dreams start? Where does the idea come from?
It was a really cold, snowy, dreary and very long winter in NYC. The Sun seemed to have deserted  our shore. Work was stressful and life just tired and a bit boring. What to do, what to do?.While lamenting this state of being with some friends the subject of vacation and travel came up. Someone was off to Jamaica, another to London for her Birthday, Japan, Dominican Republic, Italy, Guatemala and lots of travel to Florida. My life as a Nurse at a large teaching hospital in NY and member of a team negotiating a new contract for many of the  Registered Nurses working there too,a member of many Professional Organizations and a Political volunteer, as well as a friend to many left me in the City without plans to leave...at least till Spring.
Hence I now was officially a 

Stressed Out NYC Woman     

 
So....while walking through snow drifts, and sitting at a Negotiating table, and while sipping my morning coffee the idea and then the dream took shape. I would leave all the stress and board a plane....to....where?..when?
And so the dream began......

Hello World!

This is day 1 of my blog. Why would you or anyone for that matter want to read this? Well...as the title suggests, I am on a journey. At some point I WILL be on Vacation( Holiday to much of the world.)Throughout the long and cold winter a warm spot in my being has been MY Summer Vacation. It is now Spring and although the temperature has risen, my quest for my now longed for time away has not abated.This the story...frustrating, funny,crazy, and the fun of all that went into "The Journey"!