One Last Day of...

 

I'm getting old...We all are right?  But I THOUGHT I was going to write a blog post and call out something that I wrote 10 years ago.  Only I didn't write a post 10 years ago about what I thought I wrote about.  (Is this making any sense?)  

What I was remembering was a social media post I made on this day 10 years ago, which had a ton of photos as was labeled:  We didn't Go ANYWHERE today...I swear!!  Because 10 years ago today was not unlike today.  It was the day BEFORE a big birthday for me.  And I decided to do something fun on that day.  

I took the day off of work.  I dropped my son off at school and a couple of hours later, my husband and I got in the car and drove to Skytop for lunch.  It's a long drive just for lunch, but I wanted to do it.  So we did.  We left our home in NJ and drove to the Poconos.  At the time, the resort was undergoing some work, and you couldn't enter the property from the main entrance.

We wandered.  I took pictures.  We sat out on the South Porch.  (One of my favorite places in the world).  We had lunch in the Tap Room.  (Which has now been renovated)

Here we are 10 years later.  Now I spend most of my time less than 10 miles away from Skytop   I/we drive up occasionally.  There are events that we go to (like the Fall Festival).  We go and have dinner now and then.  (Not that often.)  For the past two Christmases, we've driven up on the day to wish a Merry Christmas those friends who work on that day (and if you're in hospitality you have to work holidays).  But we haven't stayed there since we bought the house.  (Our last visit was in June of 2024 and we cut our trip short so that our son could go to his girlfriend's prom.)  I mean, why should we?  We live so close by.

But I'm about to celebrate another "milestone" birthday.  (I'm not saying how old, but you can figure it out.)  I wanted to do something special.  A major trip was out of the question. (Have you seen the price of plane tickets?  Do you really want to fly with all of the crazy that is going on in the world?)  I decided I wanted to wake up on my birthday at Skytop, even if it was only a few miles away.

So that is what we are going to do.  

Originally I had intended this to be a "family" vacation, but that didn't pan out.  Our son has a new job this summer.  He started two weeks ago and they would not give him four days off right after he started.  He likes his job.  (Even though the hours are pretty long.)  While we are all disappointed, he is staying in NJ and hubby and I will take the drive up the mountain in a couple of hours.

It may be only a fifteen minute drive away, but it's also its own world.  As relaxed as I can be in our backyard (and I LOVE our backyard), sitting on that South Porch is a balm to my soul.  The pool is now "the aquatic center" and has been completely redone.  (A project that took much longer than it should have...guess I'm not the only person who has trouble with contractors.)  As a matter of fact, the outdoor portion of the center opened just yesterday.  What a great birthday gift to me! 

(Although I suspect it will be PACKED today, but on Sunday...keep those fingers crossed as most guests SHOULD head home and I can have the place pretty much to myself.)  I will walk and hike.  (Although as I get older those hikes get harder and I still can't figure out why the bottom of my right foot hurts.  I can't see any issue, but I am very "aware" of it.  Yes, I should probably see someone about it, but I haven't.)  I will eat!  (I am so excited to try some of the meals that are allergy safe for me.)  I will drink.  (I TRIED to give up drinking for several weeks in an attempt to lose a pound or two...I failed on both fronts...I did drop 2 pounds which is a win, but not the win that I would like.)  I will RELAX.

And that is the greatest gift I can give myself as I enter a new decade.  (HOW did I get here?)  Relax, breathe and enjoy.   Birthday or not, it's something we all need to do.