Vacation Highs and Lows

I had planned on blogging during our vacation. Well, that didn't work out. Now we've been home a week, and jumped right back into the fray with back-to-school. So my plan for some elaborate "What I did on summer vacation" post is also out the window. Instead, I have decided to shorten it even more, and give a list. Two, to be exact. So, in no particular order:

Top 10 Vacation Highs:

1. Getting the hell out of AZ.
2. My Aunt and Uncle's 50th Anniversary.
3. My sister's 40th Birthday weekend.
4. Finally visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Links are to my Yelp reviews.
5. Running outdoors, and in lush, green places like this.
6. Meeting online friends in person, thereby making them IRL friends. Which they were all ready, but many still need the clarification.
7. LOBSTER.
8. Spending time with family I don't see nearly often enough.
9. All-you-can-eat sushi, Polish food, NY pizza, even more lobster (yes this counts as one)
10. Chocolate factory!
10.1. A lake 5 minutes away.
10.2. Feeling like I'm home even though I never grew up in either NY or MA.


Top 10 Vacation Lows:

1. Not seeing a few of my friends I had wanted to just because we were so busy (Sorry Lubitz family!).
2. Crazy guy in NYC giving me and Kim quite a scare. Enough of one to not forget about it!
3. Not visiting the firehouse studios, where they broadcast Democracy Now.
4. Brooklyn. I thought of them often, even toyed with calling, but since I have no idea what they think of me I didn't. I miss them all so much.
5. At times, traveling with younger daughter. Between the time change and the higher energy of the NY area, we had some rough moments. Tried my best to go with the flow, but it was a challenge!
6. Needing to leave 2 hours before meeting people because of mass transit.
7. Never feeling the time change. You would think after three weeks I'd adjust? Nope. Up at 8 or 9am, not getting to sleep until 3am. I think the last two weeks of vacation were a dream.
8. Not being in my own bed. See #7.
9. So much food!
10. Flying back into Phoenix, seeing nothing but brown and just feeling sad.

Over all it was a great time- though three weeks might have been a bit too long. I don't know if I could do an entire summer like Kimber does every year! I may love the east coast, but all my comforts are in AZ.