If you’ve been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know my other half is home on R&R from Iraq. He literally got off the plane and we headed back east to spend time in Delaware with his family.
Those of you that know me know that I have a hard time ‘relaxing’. I’ve always got things to do. But this trip, I’m literally hanging out. I’ve spent a ton of time with my sister in law and her boys. I’ve got to say, there aren’t two 16 and 20 year old guys on the planet who are better with kids. My girls go nuts to see their cousins and the cousins, bless them, tolerate it like champs. My oldest learned to ‘surf’ the other day, much to her mother’s anxiety.
There has been fishing and time at the beach. We went up to Cowtown, a rodeo that, believe it or not, is in southern Jersey. It didn’t feel like south Jersey, that’s for sure. It was fun, though and the girls discovered the fun of rolling down a hill in the fading summer light.
These are the memories the girls will remember. Rolling down hills. Learning to surf. Playing on the beach with aunts and uncles and cousins.
Best of all, I’m actually, relaxing. I’ve left my XO in complete charge (don’t get excited, of course I left him a to do list). He’s learned a lot over the last few days and I’m sure he’ll continue to grow. I’m lucky to have a fantastic team back at Fort Hood that is strong and capable and forcing me to unplug and relax. Its kind of funny, actually. Sometimes I feel really useless that I don’t actually do anything. My boss tells me its a good thing that the company keeps rolling smoothly along when I’m not there. She tells me it means I’ve got everyone pushing the right buttons. I just think it means my 1SG really runs the show and only lets me think I’m in charge. But isn’t that the way NCOs always do it?
Vacation to me, though, means that my brain gets the chance to relax and recharge. I’ve finished round one of revisions on my latest project and idea 2 is rapidly moving to the forefront of my brain. It will soon move down to my fingers and start taking shape. It better.
For me, relaxing is something foreign, something I don’t actually get to do very often. I feel guilty taking me time, even though my boss taught me that I’m an INTP, which means I need my me time to recharge my energy. Knowing that, I feel a little less guilty about it. But not much. So I’m enjoying my vacation and enjoying my time away with my family.
Its kind of nice.