Scrolling through my Instagram feed this week, it looks like everyone I know spent their spring break vacationing in some tropical paradise, living the good life. In the past, I would have been envious and a little annoyed. I would have wallowed in a solo pity party, complaining that I was stuck at home, working, while everyone else got to enjoy themselves. But last week was different. After back-to-back overnight stays in Connecticut and Massachusetts, I spent the week with my family in a small cottage on a maple farm in Vermont. It wasn’t glamorous or posh, and it definitely wasn’t exotic or tropical, but it was perfectly okay and exactly what I needed.
As I said in last week’s pre-vacation post, I desperately needed a break. While I prefer the beach to the mountains, any vacation is better than no vacation, right? Besides, we picked Vermont specifically so we could see our older son, H (a freshman at Middlebury), play lacrosse; it was a unique opportunity, given the fact that we live 7hrs. away and the week lined up perfectly with our younger son’s spring break recess. So, beaches be damned! [Although, if H had picked a school in a warmer climate, I wouldn’t have been mad. Just saying … ]
In addition to watching three lacrosse games, we got to spend some quality time with H and meet a bunch of his friends, day trip to other towns and cities, tour a few colleges with our younger son, and even meet up with some old high school friends. We capped off the week with an overnight visit with my parents in NY before heading home for Easter Sunday. As I said, it was exactly what I needed — time to decompress and reconnect. Spring break mission complete.
But because this is my life, after all, it wasn’t without a few glitches. Nothing outrageous, but there was one minor work emergency that needed addressing, a short-lived autoimmune flare up, an awkward moment with a fellow lacrosse parent, and a near fire in the cottage (thanks to “high flame, Mame” at the stove). Still, we had a good time and a lot of laughs … especially when my husband rolled off the too-small bed. We’re used to a king bed and … well, I’ll just leave it at that.
Our spring break vacation may not have been exotic or flashy, but it was memorable and fun — even for our almost-16-year-old, who is bored by most outings. His highlight: going to his first college party and beating a pair of seniors in beer pong, but I’ll save that story for another day.
Overall, I think it was a spring break success for everyone.
-LJDT
