After this past week, I can safely say that I found the perfect way to take a vacation; visit old friends. Not only do you get to catch up with some of the people closest to you, but you can actually relax during your time-off. Or for at least as long as you can stay shut off from work.
My only other vacation experiences were trips to the shore, travel tournaments, a weekend in New York City and a trip through school right after I graduated to Italy and Spain. Chances for those long vacations during the summer were taken up with soccer and softball tournaments and later band obligations. This was my first “real” vacation.
The Italy and Spain trip was one that I will never forget, but we crammed so much into that trip that we were always on the go with little to no relaxing. I would not trade the experience for anything, but that was more of a trip rather than a vacation.
Now that I have the chance to take vacations, I decided it was time to go back to where I spent the better part of three years while I went away for college and returned to Tucson, Arizona. Even better was that I had the chance to see one of my best friends, close friends and their family. From the moment I stepped off the plane it was like returning to my second home again even though I left Tucson in May of 2010.
Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, it may have been more than four years but it was as if I never left with my friends. Probably the only big change was that instead of talking about our classes and college life, we talked about work and our adult lives. It was just like being roommates again and getting back into our usual routine. I felt right at home.
Even though this was a relaxing vacation, we still made plans to stay busy and create some more great memories with each other. This included traveling back to her family home in Yuma, Arizona, and catching up with that part of her family. From there we went to Mexicali, Mexico, for the big, weeks long fair there, Fiestas del Sol.
My second trip to Mexico was much different than my first which was traveling to Los Algodones which is a town that the “snowbirds” move to (people tend to retire there). That was a much more relaxed atmosphere and a big mix of Spanish and English. Mexicali was full of authentic Mexican food and what fairs are typically like there. Other than not having barns full of livestock, the fair was pretty much like the ones we have here. Now as a picky eater, I wasn’t too adventurous with food and this is why my best friend is such a big help since she is familiar with what I can handle and what I can’t having been my roommate for two years. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy seeing all the different food choices and getting a chance to smell all the hot and spicy foods.
The other big adventure during my vacation was heading back to the University of Arizona’s campus. It may not have felt like time had passed with my friends, but it certainly did when we were on our way to park. It’s amazing to me how many changes there have been to the campus and even more so the eating places. We also just so happened to pick the day that it hit 100 to decide to walk around campus. While some of the new changes seem like great ideas, it was a shame to see some of my favorite places disappear or change.
The best part about vacation though was being able to catch up with my friends even though it felt like no time had passed. We’ve done a very good job of staying in touch since I left, but it’s just not the same. This trip of course led to the discussion of needing to see each other more often and planning future trips which is always a plus.
And of course a big part of the trip was travel. This usually goes really well or is a long, tiring and frustrating day. I have to say that out of all of my flying back and forth while going to University of Arizona, these four plane rides take the cake as being the best. Every time there were empty seats in just the right places to make for a comfortable and quick flight. The cherry on top? My luggage arrived with me both times.
So, I would have to say that my first official vacation was a success and worth all of the stress and planning that needed to be done before leaving. It’s back to regular life while I come up with ideas for the next one.
Now if only I could get used to the temperature change and I’d be all set.
Shea Singley is the editor of The Hamburg Area Item. She can be reached at ssingley@berksmontnews.com.
