Sabbath Time

We went to Disney World last week. It was our first vacation in over three years. The last vacation we took was pre-Nora, in August 2006. We went to Chincoteague, which is also where we honeymooned.

We went to WDW with some good friends of ours, another couple who have a nine-month old son. They're big Disney fans, own a Disney Vacation Club timeshare, and go down there at least once a year. Since this was our first family trip there (Harry had never been, and the last time I went was about 15 years or so ago), it was nice to be in the hands of "pros". We ate well thanks to their planning and knowledge (table service for dinner, counter service for breakfast and lunch), stayed at a deluxe resort (they used their timeshare points), and were able to get in touch with our inner children. We had fun.

It was not an ideal vacation for several reasons, the main one being that all of us, except for Nora, got sick during the vacation. Harry and Joel (husband of other couple) both came down with a stomach bug early in the week. I came down with an upper respiratory virus on Thursday. Melissa (wife of other couple) and Josh (their son) both were diagnosed with H1N1 within 48 hours of arriving home. Then there's the fact that Harry's idea of a perfect vacation is doing As Little As Possible and five days in Disney World doesn't really mesh with that dream. In addition it was Hot As Blazes in central Florida, meaning highs in the high '80s with 50% humidity. Finally, I was 22 weeks pregnant (we had been planning this trip for over six months before I found out I was pregnant) and therefore couldn't go on several of the exciting rides.

However, all the not-ideal caveats aside, I had fun (I'm not going to speak for Harry, although I think he did have some level of fun since he wants to go back) and found myself feeling refreshed and renewed when we returned (aside from the URV that was making me miserable). It was nice to get away from home, spend time together as a family, and do something different together. It's something I want to do again, and relatively soon...as in within the next 12-18 months.

I'm beginning to realize just how important "sabbath time" is to my emotional and psychological well-being. Whether it's a vacation, an afternoon spent with friends, or a day spent reading novels and watching reruns of "House" and "Grey's Anatomy", time off from the daily grind (even when it seems like I "can't afford the time") really makes a positive difference, whereas not doing so only makes things worse.

Harry took this week off work to "recover" from Disney, although of course he's using this week to recover from gastroenteritis and a sinus infection. So we've had extra family time together, which has been nice...in spite of all the illness.

We'll do some sort of vacation next year, but the one that I'm really looking forward to planning is in 2011, for our tenth anniversary. It will be kid-free. I'd love to go to Hawaii, but I don't think we can afford it, even with almost two years to save. Any ideas for a nice, relaxing vacation (doing as little as possible) preferably on or near a beach?