Squawk Radio

You might wonder why someone who lives in Fantasy Land most of the time would need a vacation. I’ll confess, I am usually a reluctant vacation-taker. The only exception is when I’m going to visit one of the Squawkers. Otherwise, I am a homebody. I used to be an adventurer who loved to travel. But at this point in my life I’ve become particular in my preferences and habits. I like my coffee a certain way, I like the softness of my own pillow and the firmness of my own mattress. I like it that if I wake up in the middle of the night, I can go downstairs to make myself a cup of herb tea and read without disturbing anyone else.

Vacationing with my husband and children imposes the same schedule on all of us. This is a problem for those who like to go to bed at midnight (Greg) and those who like to rise at the crack of dawn (me). There are also the challenges of entertaining two small people with short attention spans. There is no relaxing. As Greg says, taking children from place to place, making certain no one lags behind or gets lost, is a lot like herding cats.

I do like the eating-out part of vacationing, however. And there are the moments of delight when we all see and experience something new together. We just returned from our first trip to Colorado. I loved the expressions of wonder on my childrens’ faces when they saw the mountains, they who live in a part of Texas that is as flat as a breadboard. The air was clean, the scenery was beautiful, the beds were made every day and I didn’t have to do it. And the four of us, removed from our ordinary schedules, spent some quality time with each other and created memories that helped to glue our family bonds just a little bit tighter.

Now we’re back. There is a pile of laundry by the washer, a blinking light on an answering machine full of messages, and two extra pounds on my hips. Coffe cup in hand, I am surrounded by all the lists and unpaid bills and the other effluvia of my ordinary life.

Ah, it’s good to be home!

What is your favorite vacation? Where would you most like to go? Are you a homebody or an adventurer?