Enjoying the Anticipation

I'm always staring at the calendar to see when I can leave this rainy city and abandon my long list of errands. Everyone needs and deserves a vacation no matter how poor (cheers to student debt), and even though my savings account might be at rock bottom, you just can't put a price on eye-opening experiences and the ability to enjoy them in a (semi) healthy 21-year-old body. So after debating between a few places, I booked a 5-day trip to visit my friend in Santa Barbara for April 28th to May 2nd!

For me, making the most of my vacations include enjoying the anticipation. I can push myself a little harder when I know I'll eventually be responsibility-free and relaxing under the sun. So I somehow worked 65 hours last week and an additional 30 hours this past week (it's only Wednesday) while also attempting to complete my pre-travel checklist which looks something like this:

• Do the dishes

• Rummage through my closet

• Eyelash extensions

• Pack (omg I forgot I had these!)

• Unpack (but I don't need three sets of bikinis...)

• Re-pack (uhh yes I do)

• Move things from left to right

• Locate passport

• Retail therapy

• Do laundry

• Mani-pedis

• Sweep

• Make the bed

The order of this list quite accurately reflects how I go about tackling these chores. Surprisingly enough, cleaning the apartment is one of my biggest priorities before leaving for a trip. This being because my mother successfully engrained this in me when I was a child. She would make us wipe everything down, the floor had to be spotless, our beds had to be made, having dirty laundry was not an option... I actually despised the couple of days leading up to family vacations because of it. Fast forward to the present and I have turned into my mother - clean room, clean thoughts. What better than to come home to that after cleansing your mind and soul during your luxurious vacation! (10-year-old Nao would be rolling her eyes at me right now.) 12 more hours until my flight and I have yet to cross off a few more items from my list... so I shall get back to work. Santa Barbara, here I come :)