Vacations Can Be Heaven and Hell

Hey everyone,

Here it is. My first real blog since coming back on the job. And since that's true, I thought I'd do blog on the whole thing overall.

I discovered I loved traveling and I despise it.

Why you ask? Well, it's one thing to go away for the weekend, but when you live in another country (or several) for an extended period of time you find yourself becoming unsettled and longing for a single place to call your own.

As I think I mentioned in my returning blog, when we do this again we will have a single home base to go back to--one closer I mean. That way we can rest and recharge. Otherwise living out of a suitcase the whole time can get really old.

The best part is, of course, discovering all the great new places and things the world has to offer. We saw so much...tasted, touched and heard so many different foods, scenery and music. Since we were in one place so long, we indulged our senses as much as we could.

We tried all kinds of different foods and drink. We visited as many parks, temples, museums and attractions as possible. We collected music, stories, and friends wherever we could. And it was amazing.

The memories we have will never go away, even after the souvenirs break or the pictures fade.

But there is another side to living elsewhere. And it's not so fun. And that is the many different irritants that can hit you every day. Most of them, you just shake off, but after a while, you find yourself snarling at things that were only shrug worthy when you first started living there. And bit by bit you those irritants make it so you aren't having so much fun anymore.

You fight through and continue on, but now the shine isn't so bright and the taste may not be quite as delicious.

Example? Dealing with a culture who thinks nothing of spitting on the floor in front of you in a restaurant. Kind of offputting when you're trying a new dish of Hong Kong Noodles.

Example? Trying to find a bathroom in China that has been cleaned in the last millennium.

Example? Being looked down on day, after day, after day, after day after day...for no other reason other than you are female (I have breasts you know), blonde hair and dress differently. That get's really old.

But even with all that, we'd do it again. While we've traveled extensively, both together and separately, this was the first time we'd done it for so long a time without actually moving our whole household there.

That we won't do again. Having a place to call your own is important. When things get too much for you, you can hide away and take a deep breath to get your balance back.

On Monday I'll start sharing stories with you all about the favorite place I visited. And because of that, I figured a contest was in order.

Can you guess what it might be? Where my favorite place I visited was? Give it a try to be entered for a copy of my next released e-book story out from Aspen Mountain this month.

How?

Put your guess in the comments below and a week from now, I'll draw from one of the correct answers!

And for those of you who are following me, I'll be sending your thank you gifts out by the end of the month. Aren't yet? I still have a few gifts left, so the first six others who subscribe (see this blog for details--http://cjslivingdreams.blogspot.com/2010/03/important-scheduling-information-gone.html) will also get a free thank you!!!

Talk at you all later!!!

Hugs,
CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

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