Excuse Me While I Disapear For a Bit

It's begun.  The annual "get me the hell out of here" feeling.  It's earlier this year than last year.  That may have something to do with the fact that I spent this year going someplace else every-other-month.  February was Michigan, Vegas in April and August, California in October.  Now we're at the end of December and it's been two months since I left the Portland/Metro area and I'm going crazy.

I think that every year this has a lot to do with the omnipresent clouds and fog.  They make me antsy.  Plus the more I travel the more I want to travel.  I've always wanted to travel, I have just never really felt like it was a good option for me. Now that I have become more accustomed to plane travel, and it doesn't bother me as much as it used to, I could get on a plane once a month and go someplace else and be really happy. I am at the point that I wouldn't have to figure out how to take four people with me, or even one for that matter, although I'm sure PJ would rather I take him with me than leave him here.  

I have spent every weekend for the last month or so thinking I should just drive to the beach.  The beach always makes me feel like I've gotten away.  Even Oregon beaches, where there are still clouds all winter long. I then veto the idea of going to the beach because really, what am I going to do when I get there? Sit in my car and look at the ocean?  Yes.  That's exactly what I would do.  However, there are the challenges that getting over the pass presents at this time of year.  It's dark, and typically rainy, which means I can't see to drive very well.  So even though that quick hour and a half drive would make me feel better, it's probably pretty dangerous.

I am at the point where I get three weeks of vacation a year.  I feel like that should mean that I should get to plan a couple of pretty decent vacations.  And maybe I just need to get on it. I'm sure that I could plan something exciting.  I should have a new passport by February, which means technically I could leave the US for the first time in 13 years.

Even without getting to go someplace I've never been before the beach is really close, the water will be on at the family cabin in a few months and depending on where I decide to go gas could be cheaper than a plane ticket. There is an end in sight.

Thankfully Saturday is Winter Solstice. Which means the days are going to start getting longer.  That always helps.  But what would help more is a horizon line and the sound of the ocean.