The Vacation That Didn't Reset

See that photo over there? Usually my photos are just representative stuff I grab off of Google Images, but this time, I had to brag a little bit.   This was the view from the living room of my hotel room, nay suite.  I kept wanting to call it an apartment.   If you thought this view was great, you should have seen the view off the balcony.

Normally, when I come back from a trip, I try to find a way to simplify my life.  Of course, this was slightly different.  This was more like a pause from life.   I flew down to Miami Beach for a conference.  My company paid the same discounted (barely) conference rate as everyone else, but for whatever reason, I ended up in a 650 square foot mansion that goes for nearly $800 a night.

It wasn't a vacation, though... so first, there was the conference.  Second, I flew in the night before the conference, I never quite adjusted to the time zone, I kept busy in the evenings working, and then after the conference, headed back out, catching a shuttle back to the airport at 2:45 PST after only a few hours of sleep.  

One night I worked at the desk, the next day I moved to the six person dining room table so I could spread out. But it was still work.  So, even though I had put all my clothes in drawers, I still had papers and computers and stuff spread out, so it was a little messier than normal.  (I did manage to get out one night for a 4 mile walk on A1A Beach Front Avenue. Cool.)

So when I came home, I was expecting to have my usual bit of funk while I mourned the simplicity of the trip and looked at the clutter.  It didn't happen this time, which still puzzles me.   Of course, I have also gotten both the flu and a common cold since returning and work has been insanely busy.

But I take my lack of mourning as a good thing -- the trip went extremely well and I can remember the calm and the surf (the view, the sound, the blustery wind) and just have a nice memory of the trip without the need to try to  find fault with my current life because it's not a classy expensive empty apartment on the water.

I do, however, love the idea of working and living (and going to Starbucks) all in the same building.  So much time saved not driving.  It was awesome just taking shuttles and planes and trains and not having to drive myself.  I used to love driving, but I think I'm over it.  Everything that is fun about driving does not exist in the daily commute, except for the music.

So, yeah, trip good, came home happy, not seeing it as a measuring stick against which my standard life doesn't measure up.