My Dream Week Realized

It's the strangest thing. This is officially my 3rd summer vacation since I've been teaching, but somehow, it feels like my very first.

I feel incredibly excited and burden free, and oddly that feeling seems very new to me.

I can't really figure out why? My only real explanation is that 1) This is the first summer vacation where Mike hasn't been either deployed the entire summer or about to deploy. He's here, and as far as I can tell, he's here to stay.

And

2) This is the first summer that I don't have plans right off the bat. Last year I had a conference the very first Monday after school let out, then I took a 3 week long trip filled with visiting family, then came back to SD only to have Mike deploy soon thereafter.

This year, I have no real plans for 3 whole weeks. I'm so excited, I don't even really know what to do with myself. I actually felt a little bit guilty for being lazy this weekend, but then I realized that I had nothing to feel guilty about. I have the entire week to catch up on laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. etc. etc.

This week my plans are as follows: (in no particular order)

1. Relax by the pool with a good book
2. Do some laundry
3. Meet friends for lunch
4. Clean up the house a bit
5. Watch some daytime talk shows (a first in I don't even know how long!)
6. Go into school and tie up my loose ends there (at my leisure!)
7. Get back on a regular exercise schedule
8. Take my dogs on walks
9. Sleep In
10. Make a stop at my very favorite store in the entire world - TARGET!

And that about sums things up for me. It is really my dream week, and rather than the typical dread I normally feel on a Sunday night, I am so very excited to wake up on Monday morning and officially begin my week.