Tomato Juice to Sand

After having to pack in a frenzied rush that was.not.in.my.plan.and.made.me.think I really do need therapy because the anxiety I feel from straying from the plan is not normal, I wondered if traveling was worth it.

After having my parents and sister sleep over at my house because of a crazy ice skating rink, snow all over blizzard, I wondered if traveling was worth it.

After Dad-o having to pull off the miraculous in a two and a half hour white knuckle drive, then taking three flights to have some luggage not show up, and then another -this time non-white knuckle- one hour drive, I wondered if traveling was worth it.  

After drinking tomato juice as basically my only form of food all day while having Sister Pister give me a play by play of the plane action, "Ummm what is going on right now is we are turning," I wondered if traveling was worth it.

After telling a man who had some pretty fantastic cowboy boots on, "Do you know it is perfectly acceptable to slap anyone on the butt as long as you say go team afterward," I wondered if traveling was worth it. 

After having a pilot make things up, "you look good" and then me making things right back up, "that was the best flight I've ever had," I wondered if traveling was worth it.

After having Momma Debi turn to Sister Pister and I and say, "Just chew your gum and swallow a lot and only eat one fruit snack at a time."  Then giving her the weird look because we are both big kids now.  And having her reply, "I'm not responsible for myself right now" as she pointed to her motion sickness patch, I wondered if traveling was worth it.  

Then, this morning.  Oh, this morning.  This morning, I stumbled sleepy eyed and wild haired out onto the balcony and saw this view.  The ocean.  And my uncle fishing in a little pond.  

 

WORTH IT.

The instant I walked back in from the balcony, I was determined to put some sand on the bottom of my shoes instead of snow.  And running along the lapping ocean with the breeze blowing and the morning sun, THE SUN, beating on my face made all that tomato juice worth it.

And really all I could keep thinking as music and ocean jammed in my ears was “How lucky am I right now?  Seriously."  And I wished my eyes could just be a camera.  Able to freeze moments.   

But, they aren’t.  So while red faced and sweaty, I bolted back up to the condo to grab my camera and a cup of coffee only to go sit by myself on the sand and live the dream.

WORTH IT.