Home and Away

This was my view yesterday morning:

...And this was the view out my window today:

Thanks to a delightful invitation by MLW's Aunt and Uncle we spent the last week at the Paradise Village resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A delightful time was had by all. Over the course of our week in the tropics we went scuba diving (LB) and snorkeling (MLW and myself), swimming and boogie-boarding on the beach, kayaking, swimming, hottubbing, receiving massages, and partaking of many drinks and lovely dinners with family - including one such dinner on a pirate ship. It was a wonderful opportunity for a truly unforgettable experience.

We left temperatures in the 70's and 80's to return to an Illinois draped in snow. For some this might be a let-down. Our midwestern state had temps in the 40's, with nary a snowflake to be seen when we left, and we were entering it from a tropical paradise.

For me, though, as truly delightful as Mexico was (and it was), I also delight in the midwestern winter. The first snows of winter always make me smile and, while I'll admit to being a little frustrated with the way the weather slowed our trip home - the bus struggled with snow and traffic on the way back from O'Hare to Rockford - once I was on my own, navigating along country roads, each progressively more snow covered than the next - I was in a little bit of heaven.

It's wonderful to get away, and this vacation was particularly special. And it's wonderful to come home again as well.