"Mainely" Maine

   

 In 2018, my husband and I completed a goal of visiting all fifty states together with a cruise to Alaska. The plan then was to revisit; go to places in those states we had yet to see, and to enjoy more International travel.  We were able to get to Lake Tahoe and travel the Pacific Coast Highway before life changed in the world and little to no travel could be enjoyed. Car trips across Colorado and Tennessee have been fulfilled in the last year, but I didn’t do any air travel for over two years. I eased into those again with quick trips to Chicago and New York, masked and cautious

Last week, we enjoyed a vacation…the kind that isn’t worked around the job, or a visit to see anyone. The kind that’s a destination, a plan, a goal, a bucket list check-off…the kind that you turn off the cell phones and enjoy, be in awe of beautiful scenery and amazing places. The pre-pandemic kind, the kind that says maybe we’ve turned the page and things will be “normal” again (whatever that means). However hard it is to breathe with those masks, and I was masked in the airports and on the planes and in certain places, it felt as if I could actually breathe life again just by embracing  something I’d taken for granted. Travel. A real vacation and it had been three years. Living again. Deep breaths. 

Maine. Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor. Blue Hill. Stonington. Castine. Camden. Rockland. Rockport. Bristol. Boothbay Harbor. Portland. Cape Elizabeth. Freeport. State Parks and Lighthouses. Harbors and Mountains. Lobster Rolls. Lobster Dinners. Whoopee Pies and Blueberry Pies. Fresh Seafood. Ice Cream. The week was full but it was relaxed; I ate whatever I wanted and didn’t worry or care about the calories. Vacation. No worries. Appreciating life again…those calories can be counted next week, just as all of those missed calls and text messages can be returned when one gets home. It felt so nice to live again.

Finally, I’ll share a few iPhone photos of gorgeous scenery here, because I’ve yet to go through the photos I took with the Canon. That will take me a while, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to the next trip around Labor Day. A short one. Another bucket-list goal. 

As always, thanks for reading everything I’ve shared here over the last ten years. It is appreciated.