Spring hasn’t even officially begun, and Southern California’s already skipped to summer. Yes, we’re in the middle of a heat wave here. Yesterday’s high was 98. Today’s high is supposed to be cooler…96.
Mother Nature seems confused. And maybe a little irritable too.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been having my own version of the seasonal meltdown. Tossing, turning, sleeping poorly, and sneezing like it’s my full-time job. My sleep schedule is a mess. My allergies are staging a coup. And my dating prospects? Let’s just say there’s a full spectrum of the good, the bad, and the ugh-ly.
And yet, despite the heat and the insomnia, I’m so excited I feel like I might burst.
Why? Because this time next month, I’ll be wrapping up the first week of something I haven’t had in a very long time: an actual Spring Break.
Yes, you read that right. At the ripe old(er) age of 53, Clint Collide is going on Spring Break. My first since college. And I think my first that doesn’t involve a staycation.
So my extended, three-week getaway feels less like a return and more like a debut. Self-employment definitely has its perks!
What am I so excited about? It all starts with a road trip.
Week one, I’m getting in the car and heading up I-5 to Seattle. No rushing, no red-eye flights. Just me, the road, and two or three days to make my way north. The official reason is to dogsit for my chosen sister, whose business trip happens to collide with Seattle’s Spring Break. Her usual kennels are booked, so Uncle Clint offered to drive up and spend a few days with her not-so-little dog.
Not that I needed much convincing. I love her. I love Simon. And the idea of a quiet week in Seattle, just me and the pooch, sounds like the perfect way to restart my Spring Break tradition.
Week two, after my friend gets back, I’ll be heading out on a seven-night cruise to Alaska and Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.
I found a cruise deal I couldn’t refuse, so off I go to look for bears, cubs, and otters…oh my! On land and on sea.
After my first solo cruise turned out to be such a success, I’m excited to explore more of the world, whether I’m traveling with others or on my own. And if you’re curious, I’m always happy to share my go-to site for cruise deals. Just send me a message.
Week three, after the cruise, I’ve decided not to rush home. I’m planning to stay a day or two in Seattle, soak up more time with my sister, and then ease my way back down the coast.
A stop in Portland is already on the list. More friends. More catching up. More of that Pacific Northwest beauty that makes slowing down feel so good.
The only downside is that all this excitement isn’t doing my sleep any favors. The heat and my seasonal allergies aren’t helping either, but mostly it’s my brain racing ahead, per usual. It’s busy planning the drive, picturing quiet mornings with a big dog at my feet, imagining that first glimpse of Alaska from the deck of my ship, and holding onto the feeling of not being in a rush to get anywhere.
It’s a good kind of restless. The kind that reminds me there’s still something to look forward to, even in the middle of all the gloom and doom in the world.
Sleep will come eventually.
For now, I’ll take the anticipation. And the excitement.
Keep calm and get your Spring Break on!
Clint 🌈✌️
P.S. I still plan on posting daily, even if that means scheduling posts ahead. I’m going to do my best not to post from the cruise this time. I think. Maybe. Time will tell. 🤪
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thru 03-25-26
FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
03-18 = Edward Everett Horton (1886-1970) = American actor and comedian
03-18 = Eugène Jansson (1862-1915) = Swedish painter
03-18 = Edward Everett Horton (1886-1970) = American actor and comedian
03-18 = Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) = British soldier and poet
03-18 = Stanley Bennett Clay (1950- ) = American actor, director, and producer
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.”
William Blake
Oh and Salou to Sitges THE 🌈 capital of Costa Dorada is easily done on the train. However most 🌈 travellers to Sitges fly into Barcelona (El Prat) airport and take the train South to Sitges and Salou etc. Cheers DougT
Woot Woot Clint and a doggo named Simon. Enjoy the 3 whole weeks worth of mayhem. The town of Salou on the Spanish Costa Dorada hosts a Spanish/European Spring Break sometime late April/May. It's a student fest of...... merriment....let's leave it at that 😲😎 shall we!! Salou has its own direct(Ish) rail and motorway (interstate to you 🇺🇸) Salou also had an Airport (Reus) as well as fast transit to Barcelona airport and City. I'm a mind of useless information that I gladly pass on 😎 Cheers DougT 🏴🇬🇧