Ten Things

Shimelle hosts Ten Things (on the 10th of the month) on her blog.  I thought I'd jump in and participate. 

Since I am officially "on vacation" for a few days, I thought I would post my top ten favorite things about vacation/traveling.  We haven't been on vacation for quite some time.  I went to England in January, but it really wasn't a vacation (since it was all about school).  Right now, we have three days of sightseeing (vacation) in New York, and then Saturday is my final presentation and then Saturday night is graduation!  Sunday will be winding down and seeing a little of Jersey before heading back to the airport.

Without further adieu...

1. Staying in a hotel.  I love not having to clean or make the bed.  I love to be spoiled by staying in a hotel and having nice bedding (without cat hair) without the work.  
2. Going out to eat.  It is sort of piggy-backing off of #1, but it is so nice to not have to be responsible for deciding what everyone will be eating all day, not having to do the shopping/prep/cooking and cleanup.   By the time we get home, I know I will be tired of eating out, but the first day or two it is always nice to relax.  
3. Photo opps!  I totally love taking pictures of little mister day in and day out, but it is nice to get a change of scenery and see some things that aren't local.  :)  There will be lots of opportunities to scrapbook in the upcoming months (and maybe it will inspire me to get out the pics I took two years ago in NY and scrap those too... yikes).  (Photos to be uploaded later.)
4. New York vibe.  As much as I love living a small town (suburban-barely-above-rural), it is nice to get into the major city in the country and experience all that it has to offer.  We aren't getting the full experience in just three short days, but it is a taste, and that is good enough for now.  I think that the small doses of big-city life are terrific because it always seems new and exciting.  If I had to live in NY, I'm not sure that I would like it, but visiting is loads of fun.  
5. Sense of history and awe.  We are going to Ellis Island.  In normal day-to-day life, we handle family issues and dysfunction.  Normally, the bigger picture is cloudy and very far removed.  We don't have a lot of family history or extended family.  A visit to Ellis Island is a reminder that our families have come a long way.  It is a brush with history and destiny at the same time.  It is powerful.      
6. Art.  We are going to be checking out some art galleries in Soho and wherever else our travels may take us.  I'm excited to see art on the edge and gain inspiration from color, urban scenery, and personalities.
7. Coney Island.  I've always had these ideas and images in my mind about Coney Island.  They probably come from the movie Big or other various movies/tv shows.  Now we will experience it in real life, and it is exciting.  I hope that it lives up to my expectations.  I hope it is fun, picture-worthy and we lose our breath on a ride or laugh until we shoot food out our noses.  
8. People watching.  No matter where we go, we have fun watching all of the different people and giving them stories.  We are always good at spotting characters and entertaining ourselves with them.
9. Getting to spend some quality alone time with Timbie before he has to have surgery.  In less than a month he will be having major surgery and will be down and out for at least a month.  I know he claims he isn't worrying about it, but I find that hard to believe.  Anytime someone is diagnosed with cancer, it is a life-changing issue.  I think it is good for him to get away and have a bit of a break before everything changes.
10. Missing and being missed.  There are times when I believe that togetherness tends to breed complacency and we often take each other for granted when we see each other all of the time.  We get caught up in the day-to-day hectic paces and forget to really think about each other and how we relate in the household.  Having a few days of time away can provide us with those realizations of how much we care about each other and make us appreciate the time and relationships that we do have together.  

What are your ten?