Dreams + Vacations | Random Photography Thoughts in Central Illinois

I was on vacation in Jamaica at a gorgeous resort. As soon as I got there, I scoped out my hotel room and checked out the view. It was AMAZING…..and then I heard my alarm ::facepalm:: It was just a dream, but yet it felt so real! Instead of heading down to the pool bar for some cocktails, sun and relaxation, I woke up to my own reality of being in a ‘Pottorff daughter sandwich’ and a snoring husband. Don’t get me wrong; I love being a wife and mother, but there are days when it would be so nice to be away in my own little tropical oasis. By myself. No computer. No phone. I’m just there to relax, have some drinks and soak up the sun. Doesn’t it sound amazing???

However, if you’re like me, you know how it would really go down. Your husband is there (love you Ryan!). Air travel is a nightmare. You miss your kids. Your luggage gets lost (or stolen). You pee your pants in the taxi, because the cab driver is scaring you to death with all of his speeding/swerving/tailgating. Great, your luggage is lost and you just peed your pants. Then you head to the souvenir shop and spend $200 on an ugly skirt, so you actually have something to wear. It’s a floral pattern, and your shirt has stripes on it (gotta love clashing patterns). You get a bad sunburn your first day on the beach. Day 2 is spent inside soaking in an aloe vera bath, while your husband goes golfing with some random guy he met at the pool bar. It’s day 3, and your parents call you with an update on your kids. You can hear them giggling in the background, playing, and it tugs on your heart strings and makes you get teary-eyed. Then, they start fighting over who gets to talk to you first, or worse, fighting over who HAS to talk to you. Day 4:  The vultures at the flea market force an ugly necklace in your hand and con you out of $100 (you will seriously pay them anything to get them away from you). Day 5: Your sunburn is feeling much better, and you actually enjoy yourself. This is what a vacation is all about, right?? You drink way too much and pass out at 1AM from all of the mixed drinks and sun exposure. Day 6: It’s 5AM and your alarm goes off, because your plane leaves in 3 hours. You get up and are pretty sure that you’re still drunk from the night before. Great, now you’re stuck traveling all day either drunk or hungover. The security guys at the airport give you the stink eye. Once you’re home, you just want to pass the F out and get some rest. Just as you lay down for a nap, grandma comes over with the kids, who loudly come bouncing in through the door. She tells you that they each just had a 3 hour nap, some cookies and are so excited to see you. They end up falling asleep around 11PM, and you finally get around to unpacking……

You know what? I’m no longer disappointed that my vacation was just a dream. I actually feel quite refreshed, now that I think about it 🙂

photo taken by myself in Aruba, September 2007