Postcards I Never Mailed To Myself

                                                                             or, "Vacation Lessons"

We recently went on vacation to a land far, far away called Martha's Vineyard. More specifically, Chappaquiddick island. We lodged in a charming cottage a few minutes from the quiet, peaceful beach.Keep in mind that a mother of two young children is not ever truly on "vacation" I was basically doing my regular job, just in a different city. On the beach, we could see into the water, it was so beautiful. The air was not so oppressively hot that you want to run inside to the salvation of A/C (hey, most houses there don't have central air anyway).

POSTCARD LESSON 1: DISCONNECT (If there is an emergency, there is always a landline somewhere)
There was no cellphone reception. No WIFI!! No FACEBOOK. There was a landline....lets just say it was not exactly easy to use, as the phone was a rotary and we couldn't figure out whether to dial 9 or 1 first.
That feeling of disconnect with the loud, flashy, all too overwheming, TMI world. At first, it was disconcerting. Then....then it was amazing. It made me feel so free, so able to focus on the moment.

POSTCARD LESSON 2: REDUCE REUSE
"yeah yeah" you're thinking. You have heard that one before. Such a nice saying. No one really does that....
Well guess what?! When you have to pack for 2 adults, and 2 small children under the age of 3, and you want 2 checked bags and 2 carry on bags...you REDUCE what you take. You REUSE outfits. You take favorite, small toys, not the whole toybox.
Same with the rental house. There was an amount of items there that could be classified as one step above the bare minimum. It was perfect. No extra junk. No mixing bowls (use a serving dish to mix instead!), we borrowed a can opener from a friendly neighbor.
A note about trash: when you are on a small island whose trash service comes around every 2?! (we never quite figured it out) weeks, you really are conscious of what you throw away, and even contemplate where it all goes. (If you ever go to Monhegan island off the coast of Maine, they have a "trash in, trash out" rule. wowza.

POSTCARD LESSON 3: BE IN AWE OF EXPERIENCES, NOT STUFF
I came back with lots of wonderful memories, not a bunch of physical souvenirs. Its cheaper and richer that way. =) I did want stuff. I wanted the tshirt, the tote bags, the house sign that said "Chappy". I just resisted the urge to purchase.
 
I have to say, God's magnificent beauty was so apparent on our trip. Truly refreshing to see.

Off to get rid of stuff....