Thought for a Sunday

Always remember that "rest" is an active verb. - Dianne Morr

The Mediterranean

Our 25-year anniversary trip to Hawaii was such a hit, Phil and I decided to observe our 35th anniversary with a special trip as well. This extravaganza recognized not only our marital milestone but also that fact that all three of our children had completed college. We had seen the last of college tuition bills! Whoo Hoo! Now that is something to celebrate.

This time we went to France, partly because I had always wanted to see France and partly because our youngest daughter, Jane, was taking "just one more class" before she considered herself ready to face the world. The capstone to her BFA in acting was a six-week study of Street Theatre in Paris. Completely understanding this class’s call to her, Phil and I scheduled our trip so that we could see her performance in Paris and then spend 10 days sight-seeing.

And there was so much to see. Ten days was just enough to whet the appetite, and if I tried to describe everything, this blog post would become a book. So I will just recall my impression of the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean is a shade of blue I have never seen anywhere else. It was tranquil during the days we were there. Wading was difficult because the bottom was very rocky and slippery in Nice, although I would be willing to bet my life savings that there are plenty of sandy beaches at other Mediterranean shores. The water was much warmer than the Atlantic but cooler than the Pacific waters we experienced in Hawaii.

The views were magnificent from the beach, the street, the nearby cafés, the winding road to Monaco, and the cliffs high above the sea. My next travel dream is a Mediterranean cruise. I hope I won’t have to wait for our 45th anniversary to get there.

Another Ocean

Many years after first dipping my toes in the Atlantic Ocean, I had two memorable vacations that involved great milestones and exotic seas.

In 1997, Phil and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with a trip to Hawaii. While the refreshing cold of the Atlantic Ocean had reminded me of my swimming experiences in Lake Michigan, the Pacific Ocean, specifically the beaches of Hawaii were like nothing I had ever experienced before. The water was clear and warm, the sands glistened white and fine, and the breezes carried sweet scents not remotely reminiscent of the alewives that covered Chicago beaches in the 70s. The new experiences didn’t end with the ocean.

I loved everything about Hawaii. It was the perfect blend of the exotic and the familiar. Everyone spoke English, but there were melodious Hawaiian words interwoven throughout. There were fascinating history, stories, legends, and music to enjoy. And the dancing!! Fabulous! (In my heart I am a dancer, although other parts of my body don’t understand that.) Hawaii to me is as exotic as you can get without showing a passport or exchanging money.

After another 10 years of wedded bliss, Phil and I decided to celebrate with a trip to France. The trip was in recognition not only of our anniversary but also the fact that all three of our children had completed college. We had seen the last of college tuition bills!

More about that trip in my next post.

Ocean Awareness

I sent out this article in my Morr Creative Thoughts newsletter in June. Since I am following up on these thoughts in my blog now, I thought I should include this, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a lifelong Midwesterner, my memories of oceans stand out clearly as little vignettes because they are rare and distinct glimpses in my life. I grew up in Chicago, vacationed in Wisconsin, and went to college in Kansas. By the time I graduated, I was acutely aware that my life had a few missing pieces. I really needed to see a mountain, a desert, and an ocean.

Each took my breath away. The first time I saw the Atlantic Ocean was on the coast of Maine. I few years later my husband and I again visited the east coast, vacationing in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. Every time I waded into the ocean I felt exactly what I expected – freezing water. The large bodies of water I experienced in the Midwest, Lake Michigan and the lakes of Wisconsin were always freezing, even in the late summer. The difference was the salty feel of the ocean. I always had emerged from a lake feeling “squeaky clean;” I came out of the ocean feeling like a salted nut. (Insert your joke of choice here.)

Some people with a better understanding of geography than I have might have figured out that the water temperature would be different in different parts of the world or even in different parts of the country. But I was completely and happily surprised to feel the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Who knew? Obviously, not I.

In the next few days, I will be posting some memories of oceans, mountains and deserts on my blog, www.morrcreative.blogspot.com . Please stop by and add comments on your experiences of different parts and features of the world.