Staycating...

I recently went on a long weekend to Provincetown, MA. It was there that I had an epiphany of sorts about reasons I seemed to be stuck. Of course, the events of the past few years were major contributors as well. Anywho, a few days after returning from P-Town, I visited a friend in Hampton, VA. I had a wonderful time with her and her two boys swimming on a beach only later to learn that swimming was prohibited! We didn't see the sign until we were on our way out! A totally spontaneous tremendously fun, albeit prohibited, adventure that we embarked upon because our tardiness caused her son to miss his soccer team's swim party, turned out to be one of the best days I'd had in years! On my drive home, I felt happy and free and I wondered how I could maintain that sense of euphoria (without hitting the pipe). I’ve only been working for a year after two of unemployment, so a big fancy vacation or extended stay at a tranquil spa was out of the question. But, a “staycation” of sorts wasn’t so far fetched. So, with virtually no money to go on an extravagant vacation to anywhere, I decided to explore my own backyard. With the exception of five years, I've lived in the DC Metro area since 1987. Currently, I live in Maryland, so I decided to explore it - alone. My "Solo Summer of Fun" ("SSoF" pronounced "Sof") I call it. Each weekend, I take a day trip to somewhere in Maryland. That's my only plan...the events of that day just unfold as I feel them. Even the location is pretty spontaneous and dependent on my mood. Mostly, I feel like being outdoors, despite the near unbearable heat Mother Nature has cast down on us recently. So, this summer, I'm being bold and totally selfish. This time is for me. To find me. To heal me. And, ultimately, to learn to love me.