STAYCATION

It is a Sunday morning, the hum of the clothes dryer serving as background music to my otherwise peaceful morning.  The window wide opened, so I can smell and hear the outside; overcast, drizzly weather heralding the coming of Fall. The kids and I had planned a weekend trip to see their older brother at college but he was not going to be available so we had to adjust our itinerary.  Outrageously high gas prices, the distance, hotel expenses etc...all coming in to factor...but get away for the weekend we must.  For the sake of my sanity, walking away from the demands of work is a step towards taking care of myself.  The answer: STAYCATION!

I was amused and bemused to see that this word actually made it to the dictionary.  Definition:  STAYCATION (noun):  "a vacation spent in one's home country than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions".  Thus, armed with 3/4 of a tank of gas, we piled into the car and headed south, making a stop at my kid's favorite halal Chinese restaurant.  I figured we'd start from there, warming up our bellies with good eats, a soft sell for the day's success and everyone's good mood.  It worked!  The kids ordered the food that their Baba normally would, a testament of their sadness that he is absent.  Stories and recollections of past trips, looking around neighboring tables at exotic dishes we'd never seen or ordered before.  "That looks good. We REALLY should try that next time."

Then another hour's drive to walk around a celebrated premium outlet store -- just so we could say "we've been there, done that!" -- boasting of over 200 stores, we just went to the ones we were interested in...Coach, Banana Republic, Adidas...after awhile, I was felt like a zombie with feet dragging and a thirst to sit down.  Thank God for Starbucks, my last ditch for coffee. Nomadic in nature, I chose a different route to come back to the Bay Area, opting to go over a sinewy one lane highway across wooded areas, smelling of Eucalyptus trees and fresh, wholesome air.  25 or 30 minutes of this, we finally made it to the other side, happy to see familiar buildings, grocery stores and wall to wall homes...civilization.  My kids content with whatever or wherever I decided to do. They were having fun.

The beach...it was nearing 5 pm and we managed to find parking.  It was perfect beach weather and there were tons of people, either strolling along the quaint storefronts, ice cream cones or coffee cups in hand.  We found black clad surfers atop their boards, paddling listlessly on the calm waters -- looking out expectantly for that "giant" wave to ride....sorry! I enviously watched several people on beach chairs or sprawled across their blanket, lost in the world of book reading -- oblivious.  Sigh! That used to be me, I thought to myself.  We beach watched for a while..."Let's go for some ice cream".  Home made ice cream cookie sandwiches for the kids, a bottle of water for myself.  We sat at a bus stop to watch other people watching us.

"I am stuffed!" my daughter rubs her belly as if she was expecting a child.  "Are you guys hungry for dinner?" No, they decided not -- but we can't leave until we go downtown, where I knew there was Peet's Coffee for the road.  More walking, more store looking and people watching.  Peet's closed for remodeling, I opted to get a cup of soy chai from the local roasting coffee place -- across from Starbucks.  Ha, ha...I reminisced about the past, when I used to live in this area...strolled the same streets, pushing my oldest in a stroller.  It is now transformed into something remotely recognizable.  Twenty years is a LONG time...ago...

The drive home was uneventful.  Quicker, as I am used to the windy roads of that highway.  The kids and I were glad get home -- but we were even gladder that once again, we have added yet another treasured jewel to our collection of family memories.