Taking a Vacation… Sort of

I went to my parents’ in Fort Worth last Wednesday and returned yesterday. I took my laptop and a couple of books that I’m working on for a client. None of them got used or read. My parents don’t have a wireless network and I forgot my USB drive, so I couldn’t get files to my laptop.

Sure, I could’ve connected my laptop to the network by taking the cable out of Mom’s computer and putting it into mine. But someone in the family was almost always on the Internet. My daughter chatting and playing with MySpace, my son doing puzzles, Mom taking a break and playing games, and siblings checking work stuff.

Who wants to fool with a cable when all this is going on? I never planned to take a complete vacation from work, but that’s what happened. At least, I kept up with my emails so I didn’t fall behind there. Otherwise, I’d be a stress ball. I think a lot of people took it easy for the long weekend beginning with Good Friday, which kept email more manageable.

Taking a vacation is one of the hardest things about being a sole proprietor. Nothing can happen unless I do something. On the flip side, it gives me the flexibility to do volunteer work, help with a school board campaign, and get kids to their appointments.

I love this work and the fact it gives me the opportunity to experience life more. I went to The Modern last Friday for the first time. It’s a beautifully designed museum although its art was a bit repetitious. One exhibit by Nicholas Nixon showed a photograph of four sisters. He started taking a photo of his wife and her three sisters in 1976 and continued every year to the present day.

When you compare the first and last photos, you can see how much they’ve changed. Everything in between shows the clothing and hairstyles of the time. I wanted to do something like that with my kids, but never had the time or made it a priority.

This entry started about vacation and ended with a trip to the museum. I’m glad we went to Fort Worth and stayed as long as we did though it means I’m going to be a busy bee today. It also gave me the opportunity to see my best friend of over 30 years and hold her baby for the first time. Her baby was born last year and I visited her in ICU. She was born prematurely. Now she’s an adorable and healthy 1-year-old.

Anyway, no matter what you do with your life, try to stray from routine now and then. Routine is always there, but experiencing something new and different can only happen when you make the effort.