Vacation Mode

I’m not very good at sitting still.

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know my life is usually controlled chaos. Between writing, editing, theater, work, and running kids everywhere, there’s always something that needs to be done. There’s always another deadline waiting for me.

This week, that deadline was Scars Fade. I had every intention of finishing the proofreading, formatting everything, and getting it uploaded before the weekend.

Instead…

We went to Chicago.

It wasn’t some big vacation that had been planned for months. It was one of those “let’s just go” trips that somehow turned into two days of squeezing as much as we possibly could into our schedule.

Now, traveling with my family is never as simple as jumping in the car and seeing where the day takes us. Two of my kids have pretty significant anxiety, which means every stop comes with a little uncertainty. Is it going to be too crowded? Too loud? Too overwhelming? Sometimes you don’t know until you’re standing in the middle of it.

That was pretty much what happened at LEGOLAND.

I think all of us expected it to be one of the highlights of the trip.

Instead, it was just… packed.

Wall-to-wall people.

For Asher, that was enough. The crowds were simply too much, and once that happens, it doesn’t really matter how cool the attraction is. Sometimes the best thing you can do is recognize it isn’t working and move on.

Thankfully, the day ended on a much better note.

I don’t think any of us knew what to expect from Medieval Times, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.

The food was surprisingly good. The horses were incredible. Everyone got way more invested in the tournament than we probably should have.

Then came the flower.

One of the knights tossed a flower into the crowd, and Asher made an impressive catch.

Unfortunately…

That catch also involved knocking Xane’s Sprite over.

Thankfully, he’d already finished most of his dinner.

Although, according to him, he does not recommend mixing Sprite with tomato soup.

I don’t think we’ll ever let him live that one down.

The next morning, our plan was to spend half the day at the Museum of Science and Industry before heading to the aquarium.

That was the plan.

Then we got inside the museum.

I don’t think any of us realized just how much there was to see.

Collin absolutely loved it.

If there’s one thing that kid can do, it’s lose himself in history. Watching him explore the Anne Frank exhibit and then walk through the U-505 submarine was probably my favorite part of the entire trip. He could have spent another few hours there if we’d let him.

By the time we looked at the clock, the aquarium just wasn’t happening.

Normally, that would’ve bothered me.

This time, it really didn’t.

The aquarium will still be there the next time we visit Chicago.

What mattered was watching my kids enjoy the things that mattered to them.

Now I’m home.

The suitcase is unpacked.

I’m finally sitting down after what feels like two days of nonstop walking, and yes… I’m behind.

Scars Fade isn’t finished.

It isn’t uploaded.

Tomorrow starts another show weekend at the theater, so I know my writing time is going to be limited again.

But you know what?

I’m okay with that.

Because deadlines can move.

Books can wait another couple of days.

The memories from this trip can’t.

Sometimes I need the reminder that life isn’t something that happens between writing sessions.

Sometimes life is the reason we have stories to tell in the first place.

And if that means Scars Fade takes a little longer to get into your hands, I think that’s a trade I’ll happily make.