Post-vacation doldrums.

Have you ever had a vacation so wonderful that you literally forget all of your troubles and cares? That the rest of the world seems to disappear and all that exists is you and the place you're visiting? I was lucky enough to have a vacation like that last week. And as you can imagine, coming back down to reality was not easy.

My family and I went to our usual summer vacation destination (Riverlane Resort in Guerneville) for our annual one week stay last week. Every year is always an escape for all of us - to reconnect with each other and just focus on our family - but this year, it seemed like more of an escape than ever. Because this year has been especially challenging, I think everyone was so ready for a break that the vibe just picked me up and carried me away. For a brief moment, I actually forgot the name of the software system we're implementing at work. And I've been working on this project for six months now. It only took a matter of days for me to wipe it from my memory. Which made it all the more hard to come back. Here are some of the things that made it so great:

• I had a mocha almost every morning.
• My mom and I went to Freestone one morning and bought freshly baked bread and scones. Nothing better than fresh baked goods and ocean weather.
• It was 85 degrees and warm for most of the week.
• I ate pate' and brie cheese for the first time together on some bread at the suggestion of my uncle. In an effort to try new things, I was happy that I did. It was pretty delicious.
• I danced to Earth Wind and Fire's song September at the miniature golf course.
• I walked mostly every morning.
  
• I took a nap mostly every morning after my walk.
• I didn't dry my hair most of the week (except for my bangs, which are a fright if I don't).
• I didn't wear a watch.
• I didn't use the microwave.
• I sang along with Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson at a bar after having had a martini and a rum and coke (I am a lightweight and it does not take much to make me tipsy).
• I ate veggie sandwiches for lunch almost every day.
• A few of us went to the Russian River Pub and ate DELICIOUS food.
• We goofed off and took a zillion funny pictures. I love my digital camera.
  
• I ate two truffles.
• I took pictures of most everything I ate and all the animals I saw. (A separate post will follow with some of those pictures.)
  

I also went horseback riding with some friends of our family (Jacqui and her children Jenna and Vaughn, who we met at the resort a few years back and became instant honorary members of our family), and it was both spectacular and terrifying. I had forgotten just how high up you are when you're on a horse, and before the ride began, we were given a plethora of lessons on how to direct the horse, most of which I forgot by the end of the demonstration. I have never been more scared in my life - I thought for sure I was going to spend 2 1/2 hours guiding a horse, which I was not good at, and somehow end up lost or injured. Jacqui almost backed out herself - it sounded like it was going to be too much to handle. We decided to go for it, and I am so glad that we did. Although riding a horse uphill and downhill is scary (I said a little prayer every time we went down a hairpin turn), the experience was amazing and beautiful. The lookout point we stopped at was breathtaking. The horses were well-behaved and very gentle. What they did not tell us was that the horses knew the trail we were on like the back of their hoof (ha!), and I ended up having to do very little guiding - he knew exactly what to do. Once I figured that out, it was smooth sailing. This is what it looked like at the top:













Pretty spectacular.


And here's one of me with my horse, Sidney:

















I apparently am so boring that my horse is falling asleep standing up.

My husband pointed out that this was the first excursion of its kind that I took without any members of my family going with me. But I felt so comfortable with Jacqui and her kids that it didn't bother me at all.

Although it was incredibly difficult to come home this year, I'm back into the swing of things for the most part and readjusting to my normal life. I still pine for vacation, but what comforts me is the reservation we've already made for next year.

And knowing that next year will be just as good, if not better, than this year.