A few weeks ago, I got to take a two vacation from the hustle and
bustle of work; I've gotta say, I couldn't be any happier to get away.
At that point I was ready to just start snapping off the heads of anyone
who questioned me; I guess that 6 months with no down time can do that
to you. I was hoping just have a simple stay-cation at home: clean up
my place, rest up and recharge, you know the usual things when you're
broke and burned out. Instead I flew down to Miami and DC those
following two weekend.
While in Miami I got to visit
my brother, his wife and two beautiful kids. Folks always asked me,
"Dude! Did you party some?? Get trashed??" The answer was no. It was
nice to be with family, even though I'll say that kids at this point are
not in my future. I swear kids are definitely a calling; that
particular call has not yet to come through on my line. It was great to
catch up with them and the kids and just see what a truly domesticated
lifestyle looks like. I guess being gay, the term "domesticated" seems
to carry with it a different meaning. Seeing a domesticated straight
couple is like going to a museum. "Oh! That's what those folks look
like with kids and pets and a stable life."
Aside from the babies
crying in the middle of the night, (God bless those munchkins) the trip
was peaceful and really enlightening. It's good to just be able to
catch up on life with no real judgments or anything, and to just talk
and express yourself.
I left Miami even more exhausted
than I was when I got there, but it was well worth it. I came back for
two days to celebrate my birthday. My birthday..... It was really nice
to see a group of friends come from everywhere to just be with you. I
believe that it was about 8 of us, nothing huge, nothing to write home
about; but the amount of people didn't matter, it was just nice to see
my friends and those I care about around me. Aside from butchering the
Proclaimers "5000 Miles" at the top of our lungs, the night was filled
with laughter and drunken energy; it was a great release and a great
way to bring in the 31st.
After the birthday and the
following day of a horrible hangover, I was DC bound to visit my other
brother. I hadn't been up to DC in over 5 years, so needless to say,
I'd have a lot of catching up to do. In 3 or 4 days I did the typical
touring of the monuments, but also got to sail and sing under the
stars. My brother and his girlfriend showed me some really interesting
parts of the city, while sacrificing their own comfort levels, which I
really appreciated. DC itself is such an odd but huge city! The
zoning, or lack thereof, makes the city appear to be a hodgepodge of
roads and buildings; one minute you're driving through a beautiful park and then the next you want to blow through every red light you see. For an area supposedly built by the Freemasons,
you get the impression that it was erected in the middle of the night using a
candle for illumination.
But the climax of the trip, aside from
visiting UVA in Charlottesville, was sailing up and around DC, Maryland
and Virginia. Even though the trip got started off late, (good ole
hispanic timing) it was just very peaceful and pleasant, filled with the smell of the water and hamburgers. The best part was when we all laid
back and started to sing some songs that hadn't been sung since my dad
was alive. I was flooded with so many memories at that point, and yet, I
could have stayed out there forever it seems.
Well at
the end of those two weeks, I found myself back in Atlanta. It's been three weeks since then and my world has been shaken. I think I came back a
wiser man some, a more adventurous man and yet one who seems to be
haunted with the past. On one side, I was able to just sit down and
think of what to do with my future long term; I've got a few options out
there, but for once things seem to be taking form for me. I guess with
a little more clarity of direction I've been able to just hunt down
more activities and events that appeal to me. But still with some
insight, still comes past struggles...
