Post-Vacation Blues
I am still recovering from my vacation to Daytona Beach last week. Although the trip was a short one, I feel like I just stepped off an international flight. It was a 7-hour car ride that seemed to last forever. If you have every taken a long road trip, let me remind you how enjoyable this experience can be.
I was traveling with 12 other people on this trip. This was a reunion of old acquaintances and friends from our childhood. My two kids were along for the ride and I thought I had brought them enough activities to keep them busy. They slept for first 3 hours of the trip. They quickly became bored with the game boy, word search puzzles and other busy distractions. We made three quick stops on the way for bathroom breaks and to stretch those tired muscles. We made the trip way before our planned arrival time. The event was nice and we re-connected with a few old friends. We were back on the road Sunday morning. About 3 hours into the trip back to Atlanta, my rear end began to ache. I tried moving around in the seat to relieve the pressure. By the time we reached our final destination, my rear end just became numb. I had to sleep on my stomach because my rear end was so sore. The next day I had to drive home to North Carolina. Another 4 hours in the car with a sore back side. I was still exhausted from the trip to Florida and dreading the long drive back home. I was alert during the drive through downtown Atlanta. If you have never driven in rush hour traffic in Atlanta, this is quite an experience. I had no choice but to be alert or be blown off the expressway.
Once I passed the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, I was confronted with the boring road north on interstate 85. I stopped and bought a huge bottle of Coca-Cola and a big chocolate candy bar to keep me awake. I made it home safely in about 4 and half hours.
Now, that I am back at home I'm playing catch up on all of the work that I need to complete. It's Sunday evening and I have tons of papers to grade, a PowerPoint to complete, discussion boards to facilitate and my weekly article is due. I remember my college days of pulling all nighters cramming for exams and putting the finishing touches on research papers. I don't think I have the same stamina to pull all nighters. I will just have to approach this logically. That is completing portions of each task one at a time. Eventually, I will complete everything and catch up on my much needed sleep. Who needs a vacation anyway?