Getting Out

I recently had my first vacation in six months.  I have had tons of time out of work, but it has all been sick leave, and not one bit of that has felt like a vacation.  So a few days away in Chicago, a mere four hours from where I live, really felt like a vacation.
I had very low expectations in order to help ensure success.  I planned to leave my home town.  That was the minimum.  I hoped to see a museum or two and to have a few good meals.  Happily, all of that came true.  The thing about a vacation in the midst of a slew of sick leave is that you can really appreciate the difference between a vacation and the other two aspects of life--working and sick leave.  I am certainly not back to my usual self, but spending an afternoon in a museum is a beautiful thing.  This exhibit of the terra cotta warriors from Xian was wonderful.  I had just been in Xian two summers ago, but seeing an exhibit in the United States is very different from the Chinese version, and it was relaxing to saunter through and absorb and also to remember when I was in China.  Such a pleasure in small things.