Not A Midlife Crisis

I was not having a midlife crisis. 

No.  Just thinking about how I was getting older.  How long it had been since I’d done something that fell into a category slapped with a warning label of dangerous/outrageous/impractical!

So my husband and I felt the best remedy would be to try something new (surfing!) and we booked a kid-free trip to a place we’d never traveled before - San Diego.

And let me tell you - the first carefree day was G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S.  There is something sacred about unplugging.  Or not planning.  Or not worrying.  I forget that all too often. 

On the second day, we attempted to surf.  I was instantly overwhelmed at how relentless the waves were and how fast they repeatedly hit.  They were MUCH LESS daunting from the sand than they were when they were smacking me in the face.  But I felt that *ping* of determination spark a small fire inside me, and suddenly it didn’t matter how hard it was.  It just mattered that I kept getting back up.

After Advil and hot showers, we decided to kick it up a notch.  What else could we do during our last kid-free day that we’ve always wanted to?  Someone mumbled something about getting tattoos.  We found ourselves instead the next morning on a brand-new Harley* traveling through the mountains on a day trip.  San Diego => Campo => Julian => La Jolla.  I questioned my own sanity as we hauled up the mountain and tried hard not to look over the unguarded edge.  But those words of insecurity were quickly replaced by screams of how AWESOME THIS WAS to my husband. 

We! Literally! Just! Kept! Screaming! The! Same! Thing! To! Each! Other! For! The! Rest! Of! The! Day! Did you know it is possible to travel through the desert, the forest, the mountains and the coast in one day?  Or that you could experience all four seasons within a matter of hours?

Before we knew it, the carefree days were over.  Although the anticipation and excitement of hugging my toddler and giving her the present we picked out was almost as good as the pre-trip jitters.  Home = good.  Really good.  But somewhere amongst nearly drowning in salt water and the butterflies in my stomach on the mountain, I decided if this truly was a mid-life crisis then I want more of them.  Lots more.

 

*We rented our Harley, but it had only been ridden once.  I wouldn’t buy one spontaneously.  I’m not that crazy.  Come on.

Comments

[Clare Westby]

Well, if you ask me, the most exciting part that you did during your vacation is going on a road trip with your brand new Harley. I mean, that was the moment when you could choose which places you want to go to without spending too much money. I'd love to do that as well, when I have the time. :D