We Went Camping

We rented a car and went camping in Burlingame State Park in Rhode Island for Memorial Day weekend. While the campground was a zoo (800 sites booked solid for the weekend), it plopped us in a part of the US we've never experienced. We spent most of our time exploring the area rather than hanging out at the camp fire. There were moments of perfection (our meal at Matunuck Oyster Bar) and moments of frustration (the boys woke up at 5am every day whyyyyyy). All the gear is still out in the front hallway. I want to go camping again this weekend so I don't have to put it away. I was thinking this spot on Fire Island. Or this spot upstate. Both are accessible by train. Seriously looking into it.

Best Mother's Day Ever

Mother's Day seems forced to me. There's always a nervous energy my house that day. Everyone has to be nice to mom! No fighting! Make her breakfast! Clean the dishes! Isn't she so special?! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Ok. Thanks everyone. I know you do and I love you too. I feel it all year. But today you're all making me squirm.

And I always miss my mom on Mother's Day. Last week I was in Central Park looking at everyone walking by Bethesda's Terrace. There had to be hundreds and hundreds of people visiting the park. I would trade anything to have one of them be my mom. There's so many people on this planet and none quiet fill the hole my mom left in my heart. Mother's day reminds me of that hole. Makes me sad.

After trying to make this day work for so many years, Rob thought of an idea to make this the best Mother's Day everrr. I shouldn't be, but I'm always surprised when he does something that shows he knows me better than anyone. Like last Christmas he bought me a copy of Bad Feminist. I almost cried at his thoughtfulness. It was so good. And last week, he knew I needed to escape all this Mother's Day madness. I never said I needed to be shipped out, but that's exactly what he did. He surprised me with plane tickets to Puerto Rico. He left the hotel reservations up to me because he knew I would want to pick one. And he bought travel insurance just in case I thought it was a terrible idea and wanted to cancel. I thought that was a sweet gesture. But there was noway I was going to cancel.

So I woke up at 6am on Mother's Day, skipped breakfast, threw on my backpack, squeezed my family and said goodbye. I caught the train to Newark International Airport and was off to Puerto Rico by myself. I arrived starving in Old San Juan five hours later. The next three days were spent exploring, eating, relaxing, and even missing my family. It felt wonderful.

I would have never thought of flying away from my family on Mother's Day. It's seems rude, even sacrilegious. But for the first time in 15 years, I'm looking forward to next Mother's Day. I wonder where Rob will ship me next time.

Photos to follow.