vacation: it’s over.

Cry for me, Argentina.  The vacation is over.  Over and back at it with a funeral this morning and a Sunday sermon to write this afternoon.  [The children of the deceased are British and totally have that beautiful European look.  I wanted to be their friend.  I wanted to listen to them talk all day long.  #anglophile.]

But before I can face that second sermon, let me show you the rest of my vacation.  

After breakfast conversation with Alex from Zurich, I hit the road.  I walked the breakwater on the harbor in Grand Marais before driving reluctantly south on Hwy 61. I made two state park stops on the way home – Cascade River State Park and Gooseberry Falls.  I think Cascade was my favorite because it was a bit off the beaten path and I didn’t have to wade through people like I did at Gooseberry Falls.  I was bummed I couldn’t spend longer hiking the trails but also learned that, hey, I really like hiking.  Mabel and I will have to get some solid use out of the park pass that now sticks to my windshield.  

And then I drove home.  Boo.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t start to sob the minute I hit the southern edge of the cities.  It was like a switch flipped.  I didn’t want to go home.  I didn’t want to have to work again.  I realized that I’m really kinda sorta unhappy here.  Or maybe the end of vacation cued a flair of dramatics.  Because while I would much rather be hiking or kayaking or exploring a new town, the last two days haven’t been terrible.  No tears since that initial night of return.  As Pastor Heidi told me, it’s all about finding the recreation and joy in everyday and not just vacation.  But oh how nice another couple nights of vacation would have been.

le sigh.  To Sunday sermon prep we go … and then it’s Strawberry Festival week, people.  [The annual festival of Red Oak Grove is Tuesday.  Approx. 800 people are fed meals of barbecues and any kind of strawberry dessert you may desire.  It will be my first experience of it all.  I anticipate chaos and long prep days ahead.]