I was sorry to return home yesterday from our first summer vacation. The Austin weather forecast, predicting 95+ degree temperatures every day for the foreseeable future, is contributing to my regret, but I'm also sad to say goodbye to Don's family and to friends who live too far away. I've decided over the years that an important sign of a good vacation is that I don't want to go home. By those standards, we had a pretty great trip.
On the way to the airport for our flight home, we stopped at a café for an early lunch. I challenged Don and the kids, "Name your three favorite things about our trip."
To my delight, no one wanted to be limited to three. Ella suggested we think of our favorite activity from every day, which still proved difficult.
But despite the fun touristy activities – the Boston Duck Tour, the New England Aquarium, the Yankee Candle Company shop near Amherst, a day on roller coasters at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania (where Don took the kids without me) – the resounding highlights of the trip were the opportunities to reconnect with friends and spend time with Don's family.
Early in the trip, we shared a wonderful evening with three of Don's best friends from MIT. Our kids played with theirs. We ate delicious homemade pizza and salad with greens picked out of the garden. The next night was equally terrific with some of my best friends from college. I'd seen them maybe once in the last 15 years. But we shared great memories and still have common interests and values.
After our time in Boston, my very dear friend, Marcia (also from college), joined us for a weekend in Amherst, biking, catching up, and showing off our beautiful Amherst College to my kids. And a few days later, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner with friends Armando and Jack in Greenwich Village.
Of course, spending time last week with Don's mom and his dad, who is thankfully healthy again, left us feeling grateful and loved.
Our time with others enhanced our time together as a family.
I read a New York Times article about half-way through the trip that resonated with me. It was about the Fear of Better Options. I live with this fear, which may be even more acute because of my MS diagnosis. How long will I be mobile? How long will I have the energy to travel? I want to make THE MOST of the time I have, given the uncertainty of my future.
But I also realize that sometimes my insistence on finding the Best Available Option gets in the way of enjoying many other Very Good Options.
We did not have the perfect hotel every night. We didn't make it to a hear jazz in New York City or for a family hike in the Amherst Bird Sanctuary. We had some arguments and whiny kids and rainy days. But by meeting up with family and so many friends, and settling for some Very Good Options, we were able to enjoy the Best Available Vacation.
Please share your thoughts on how to avoid getting caught up in the Fear of Better Options and how to have a great vacation by leaving a comment below.