Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Paying for Vacation

Actually, Marilyn and I made a pact that when they put the final bill under our door on Sunday morning, we wouldn't look at it - we would just take care of it when we have to. But that's just one way of paying for a vacation.

You pay when you have to get back to work, whether you enjoy your job or not. You have to get back into that work and everyday routine and schedule. If you stayed at a hotel, you have to pay by cleaning up your own room. In our case, we have to turn down our own beds and make our own towel animals (or just hope the one hanging in the bathroom is clean). If you were like us on the "eat all you want all the time" food plan, now you pay by planning, buying and preparing not only your own food, but those who depend on you for their meals. Finally,you pay with all the time spent catching up on all the work and daily duties that went on in your absence and need your immediate attention.

There are many ways you pay for your vacation, but if you're lucky you realize how little you actually paid for the irreplaceable memories that you created. Those are the memories that will soothe you when the Visa bill comes, or the boss acts like an idiot, or you get mired down in the everydayness of life. After all, credit card bills come and go, but vacation memories last forever.

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