Best Laid Plans

Here are some of the things I thought I'd *accomplish* on my week-long vacation/trip home*:

1. Finally read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
2. Finally read Bossypants
3. Make a dent in my magazine pile
4. Write 5K of my shiny new WIP

And here's how it turned out:

1. Finally read 25 pages of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
2. Finally read Bossypants Yes! I did this. More on that later.
3. Make a dent Not read anything in my magazine pile
4. Write 5K 200 pathetic words of my shiny new WIP

But here's where I get all Mastercard commercial on you and tell you why it was a priceless vacation even though I didn't do most of those things:

1. Saw both of my crazy-awesome grandmas, spent so much quality time with my amazing parentals and my super sister--none of whom I'd seen yet in this calendar year
2. Saw my BFF who is back from Germany, finally! And her wonderful sister and parents, too
3. Spent hours jogging through prairies and forests, laying on my back in a pool staring at puffy clouds, and eating my weight in real Wisconsin cheese
4. Stockpiled enough sun-derived Vitamin D to make up for the fact that I live in a writer's cave
5. Relaxed. Finally. Took a break from work-work and writing-work and just played and rested and contemplated and explored

Sentimental and fauxphilosophical takeaway: vacations shouldn't be measured in accomplishing plans or goals or checking off items on a list or whatever.** They should be measured in happy memories, connections with the people you love, and opportunities to be in the moment.
And now it's back to business. :)

*It's weird how I haven't lived in Wisconsin for 10 years but it's still home in a way that, love it dearly but, New York won't ever be.
**Unless you are climbing Everest or voyaging across the ocean or something, when you should accomplish the goal and not get stuck on the mountain/shipwrecked. Lists and plans are a very good thing for vacations like that.

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