So much of the fun of a trip is in the planning stages, the Germans even have a word for it:
Do you have something that you love to include to make every vacation the best it can be? Do you make dinner reservations at a 5-star restaurant months ahead? Do you immediately book a massage and facial at your tropical spa getaway? Or maybe you make sure to schedule a special Breakfast with the Disney princesses..something you couldn’t afford to do when raising your own kids and now is a wonderful way to spoil your grandchildren!
I have my own way of splurging and it occurs at the very outset of my trips. We’ve arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. (Always planning for a possible ten-car pileup en route to the airport!) We’ve shuttled our way from long-term parking, gotten our boarding passes and slogged our way through security. And now we have that loooong walk to the gate where we will probably have an hour or more to wait.
But this is where my magic happens!
I feel a little pitterpat in my chest as I wordlessly hand over my carry-on to my husband. Luckily he knows the drill by now and keeps heading toward the gate. It comes into view. (Insert angels chorus here.)
Heaven on earth…
the airport book store!
So, we all know that we can put our names on the waiting lists at our local libraries and eventually read the same books for free, and maybe even a hardcover edition at that. But, I’m on vacation and that means treating myself to a bestseller…and a hardcover edition at that. A book I can envision finding a permanent place on my bookshelf. A book I hope I will love so much that I’ll lend it to all my “reader friends” (you know who you are) so we can talk about it together.
And it’s not just the book I enjoy. It’s the luxury of having an hour to kill and dozens and dozens of dust jackets to read. Sometimes, I literally weigh my options. I’ve always wanted to read “Gone With the Wind” but with the paperback edition at over 1000 pages, I’m not lugging that baby down to the pool every day!
I wish I could say all of my choices have been stellar, but there was the “The Lovely Bones” debacle of 2002. I won’t review it here but take my word for it…it is not a feel-good book. Maybe a better choice would be “The Orphan Train” which sounds sad, but is really an uplifting read that will not put a damper on your trip!
Try this out on your next trip and feel free to share your ideas for making every trip special.