Love stories on vacation

 You know how there are different styles of vacationers?   Some people like to go-go-go and get the most out of every day;  see everything that there is to see.   That’s not me.  My idea of a vacation is some sunshine, a diet coke, and time to read a good book.   I had a perfect weekend recently.  The books on hand were:  “The Longest Ride” by Nicolas Sparks, a new release, and “The Time of my Life” by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi Swayze, a lucky find for $3 at a discount store.

We were camping, which is not always the stuff that “vacations” are made of.  Family is hard, even when it’s fun.   Fortunately, I didn’t have to drive, so I busted out Nicolas Sparks as soon as we were on the road.   Being able to read without getting car sick is one of the best things I like about myself.  It’s awesome.   We set up camp, Brian started a fire and I plopped my butt down to read until the sun set and the kids got hungry.

Early the next morning, I took the girls to the playground with a blanket and a book.  They played and I read.  We spent all afternoon in the sand by the pond and the October sun came out to warm us.  They played and I read a book in the beach chair with a diet coke.  Do you see it?  Sun, Diet Coke, book.  Then they jumped in the water and got completely soaked.  I didn’t care.  I was engrossed in a love story.  I was on vacation.

Late afternoon, the kids went trick-or-treating around camp with Brian.    I stayed back to hand out candy….. and read.

It started to rain, so we ate pizza and then put in a movie for the kids to watch.  I read during the movie and continued late into the night.

The words pulled me in.

The rain fell softly on the roof.

A light over my bed dimly lit up our cozy little trailer.

My family’s soft breath, my husbands warm body, the quietest part of the day.

It was amazing. 

I floated between the two books all weekend;  one a mesmerizing fiction and the other an autobiography.  None of the couples had kids, which made me pause.  Would my love story with Brian be different without kids?  Heck, yeah.  Easier?  I don’t know. 

Nicolas Spark is the master of love stories and I was not disappointed.   It’s an easy read; a perfect vacation book.  Patrick Swayze’s life story was fascinating to me too.   Honestly the only reason I picked up the book is because he and Lisa were married 34 years.  I want to know more about anyone who can stay married that long, especially in a stressful Hollywood career.  I learned how hard he pushed himself physically to perform, how determined he was to give the best performance every time, and that he and Lisa worked together on every project.  I’m going to watch some of his classics now, particularly “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost”.

“Dirty Dancing” was released when I was 9, and I think I saw a portion of it when I was a teenager.   I bet my best friend and I watched it at her house, knowing my parents would flip out at the title and the dancing.  I have a lot of guilt when I think about it.  Its time to get over that and appreciate Patrick for the things I admire about him as a person.  I’m kinda excited…..