Itchy

I'm getting all itchy again to blow this popsicle stand. Not my job specifically (not today anyway), but this city. I want to board a great big jet plane and fly off, preferably to somewhere warm with sand and blue water. Alas, it's not to be. We're going to Vegas for a quick trip in about 20 days, so that's exciting, but it's not warm, it's not peaceful (unless you count the $140 massages you can purchase at a spa) and it's not tropical.

I'm sure I sound spoiled. If so, that's a fair categorization. Still, have you ever wanted to just drive yourself to an airport, pick out a place, and go? I've never done something even remotely that spontaneous, and I probably won't until I get older and vacation time isn't as much of an issue. If we're going to have kids, I guess that sort of cuts down on the spontaneity, huh?

I read an article recently about an older couple killed by a (presumed to be) serial killer. This guy apparently has killed several hikers, and is suspected of god knows how many other murders. It's a horrible story, but the article was about how these people lived, not how they died. This couple, in their late 70s, were still avid hikers and travelers. One neighbor stated that they always kept travel bags packed, as they would buy airline tickets on sale at the last minute and fly off on a day's notice to wherever they could get good tickets. What an exciting way to spend your later years.

The divorce situation with the Italian's sister really has him on edge. He asked me last night if I was happy, and made me promise that I would tell him if I ever wasn't. He doesn't want to get 15 years down the line and find himself with someone who doesn't love him. And neither do I.

I think it's important that couples grow together and develop common interests, though keeping your own interests intact is obviously important too. The Italian knows I love to travel, and he asked "do we go enough places to keep you happy?" Of course we do, because we go to all the places we can afford to go with limited time and money. It was really a very sweet moment (on the heels of me being a bitch b/c he kept asking after the damn Advil. I don't know where it is, dammit).

Anyway, my whole point is that doing things that seem ridiculous or impractical (like flying away at a moment's notice when you're 70) is what keeps relationships alive. We all want a little bit of the ridiculous from time-to-time, and shouldn't we indulge our spouse? If my brother-in-law had been a little less practical along the way, if they'd ended up with twenty thousand left in savings because of some ridiculous trip or hobby, would it have made a difference? Would their marriage be intact? Was that extra money really worth the price of his marriage?

All I know is that I look forward to growing old with my husband, and flying off with my husband on a moment's notice, whether we're 35 or 75.