Party Girl

Okay, I seem to have a reputation for being somewhat of a party girl at our church. I hope not in a bad way. Am I the only one on this earth that thinks that it's not ridiculous to drive almost 2 hours each way for a second visit to Legoland, only 6 days after our first trip? The second time was free. We just had to fill up $50 worth in gas in the Odyssey.

School's out for summer and I'm ready to hit the beach, the city and whatever else this and any other town has to dish up. Bring it. In fact, the favorite pastime in our home lately is checking travel websites. Our latest vacation featured an incredible $99 rate at the Omni in San Diego. Whenever we see a good deal, Joe and I look at each other and think, "Hmmm, how can we take a vacation so we can seize another great deal?" I guess I like to think of myself as an opportunist rather than a "party girl." A party girl is a mere hangout slut who is willing to go anywhere and do whatever it takes to have a good time. For me, having a good time involves careful planning and optimal timing. Just call me the party geek.

The only drawback to my method of having fun is that I tend to pack it in, and those who happen to be on board my crazy ride through Wonderland often get dragged behind as innocent victims with no one to hear their cries. I am changing though. For one thing, my children force me to slow down. Darn naps. As a result, I have discovered that hotels can be a vacation in and of themselves.

Our next trip will be New York. I am so excited. When I think about seeing old friends, and what I want to do and see while I'm there, I get so anxious and then the party geek in me starts to come out. What do you think, Cha? Should I bring the karaoke mic with me or not? NY and I are like old college buddies. We have a lot of memories together and my life is forever changed by knowing her. Now I want my girls to get to know her and love her the way I do. For me, places are like people. Each place expresses its own persona and its own distinct style. Even the people who live there speak to their places in a different way (like in New Yo-hk) and respond disparately to they sights, smells, sounds and feel of their place. Just look at the differences in the way people drive in CA, NY and TX. Even the slow Southern drawl or the rough NY accent personifies the people. Is it that certain places attract particular types of people or that those places produce people with certain characteristics? Maybe both are true. I grew up in Texas where the Southern hospitality rubbed off on me, but I always itched to get out and was attracted to the prospect of going to NY for college. And now? I'm kicking back on the west coast with my permed hair blowing in the sea breeze. And I'm trilingual. I speak valley girl, manhattan, and hick.