How you know you need a vacation and other thoughts

I am craving an adventure type/beach type/big time vacation. I want to get on a plane and spend weeks on a beach or a mountain. As you know, I have instead planned a trip during which I will play in the mud. (In fact according to blogger's stat counter, that was my most viewed blog post of all time...must have been those cheesy faces in the picture) But that desire to travel cannot be quelled. Today the universe told me that I must go forth and travel.

Each day I take the San Francisco Airport bound BART train. Each morning as we get closer to San Francisco, I see happy people climb on board with their suitcases nicely packed, excitement on their faces. This daily occurrence is beginning to get unbearable. Watching those happy couples double check their name tags and their tickets, anxiously awaiting that moment when the vacation really begins. And then there's me in the corner.

I don't need to tell you that there is never a morning where I glow with pre-vacation glow, or any kind of glow for that matter. Unless it's the glow of sweat because the train air conditioning is acting up and I am still wearing my coat. In fact, most mornings I spend a lot of time getting dressed and ready, ironing my clothes, doing my hair only to fall asleep on the BART train. I usually wake up just before my stop to find that my hair is sticking up at odd angles, my clothes are a rumpled mess and I've been sleeping like a bag lady under my old coat with the ripped lining. Those happy vacationers are mocking me, and oh how I long to be one of them.

Today after I got off the train, I heard the sound of the Andes mountains...a pan pipe and guitar making beautiful music together, reminding me of Chocolat and mystical journeys into the mist. Who were those magical musicians? I have never seen them in the BART station before, never heard their mystical sounds. They were wonderful. Not just some hacks begging for change; these men were talented. I realized then that the universe was telling me to go, go to the mountains. The suitcases were just act one of a great universal message. Go to Maccu Piccu. Who's with me???!!!