I get to have a vacation! the boss-lady okay’ed everything, and now all I have to do is buy our return trip tickets. I’m starting to get excited – I *really* need to get away for a while. from *everything*. especially work. and, as much as I love life here, it seems that I just can’t say no, especially when I’m asked to do something with a friend I don’t see often (which happens a lot – they must have some kind of rotating schedule). that’s all well and good, but the only time I can do anything substantial is on my weekends… so then, when do I get to rest?

the answer? when I go to Myrtle Beach for a week!

on a side note, here’s something screwy about me – I don’t often “look forward” to things before they’re sure things. I would much rather be pleasantly surprised than be disappointed, so I operate from a negative outlook most of the time. seems like a sad way to live, but it’s also a bit safer than making all kinds of plans and putting a lot of time and effort into something that won’t amount to anything.

while this is a practical way to live regarding such things as vacations and get-togethers with sisters (while they were still in college) or large groups of people, it’s a pretty pathetic way to manage relationships. *that* was a tough distinction for me to make – until pretty recently, I had applied my m.o. to *all* facets of life. what I found out, though, is that safe is lonely. though there is joy in many small things when you approach things and events with a “pleasantly surprised” mindset, I’ve found that it kills a relationship when you expect nothing of the person in it with you.

hm. off-subject, for the most part. except that I was afraid to “expect” that this vacation time would be agreed to, and now am “pleasantly surprised” (and *much* relieved) to have the conversation over and done with.

and so, once again, I say “yay!” for beach vacations! (and yay! for thunderstorms!)