Nine Days

Nine days of vacation. It was amazing. One of the best vacations of my life. Nine days was long enough to:

• Swim: in the ocean, the intracoastal, Salt Springs, Silver Glen Springs and a pool. I spent about four hours in the water today. Not only did my husband and I swim but we also grilled burgers in our canoe while standing in the water. It was awesome.
• Canoe: three different times. I love beaching our canoe, making sandwiches on a sandy bank, drinking margaritas and exploring hidden creeks.
• Cooked really healthy meals: I made gluten-free flaxseed bread, pizza and cinnamon rolls from scratch. I also cooked homemade chicken broth without the sodium and preservatives that are found in the store-bought brands.
• Eat lots of wild-caught sockeye salmon: grilled with fresh lemon and dill.
• Walk around our flea market: twice we went to our town flea market and bought cool movies for really cheap prices. We found Spaceballs, Stand by Me, Raising Cain, a Halloween collection, the original House on Haunted Hill, Fear and a serial killer trilogy.
• Spend time with friends: we've made new friends and went to the First Friday Art Walk with them and also the Wednesday night concert at the Pier. Both were very good times.
• Be with my husband: the time we spent together was totally amazing. Enough said.
• Celebrate my dog's 16th birthday. I am still in awe that he is so healthy and happy after all these years. Instead of cake (because cake is bad for dogs), Floyd got a can of tuna for his birthday dish. He LOVES seafood.
• Soak up the sun: I mean really soak it up. I'm a couple shades darker than I was nine days ago. I actually look like I live in Florida.

Now I know why people need to vacation. We need to clear our heads and our souls. Vacations are times to connect with our loved ones, ourselves, nature and the important things in life. I feel completely refreshed.