Our "romantic" Weekend

For the past few weeks I have been researching trips for this upcoming long weekend.

It is the beginning of Mike's pre-deployment leave, I have a 3-day weekend, so I figured what better time to go on a trip to explore an area of Southern California we haven't visited yet?

The task of finding somewhere to go, though, was much more daunting than I had anticipated. Where to go? Catalina Island? Palm Springs? Laguna Beach? Malibu? Santa Monica?

I wasted many hours online in search of the perfect Southern California weekend get-away and came away with nothing. zip. nada.

Last night while enjoying a lovely dinner with a good friend, I told her about my failed attempt at planning a trip. She barely covered her dismay as she asked the question, "You mean to tell me that you aren't going anywhere simply because you couldn't make up your mind about where to go?"

Gulp.
Yep. That's right.

Today I woke up on a mission. I would plan a trip for the coming weekend if it was the only thing I accomplished.

Finally, with the help of my incredibly awesome credit card and its rewards, I booked a trip. Free of charge I might add.

Where are we going, you ask?
We are going to that well-known luxurious and romantic resort area in Los Angeles called Universal Studios.

What's that you say? Universal Studios doesn't sound like your idea of a romantic weekend get-away? It wouldn't have been your choice for the last weekend away you will get to spend with your husband before he leaves for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan?

I understand. It certainly isn't the luxury hotel on Malibu Beach that I had been romanticizing about in my head. It is no Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Beach. It's not the fancy nightlife of Palm Springs. And it damn sure isn't the remote and intimate vacation spot that Catalina is known to be.

It is, however, our idea of a good time.

Now I know why I was having so much trouble making a decision before. I was looking into trips that were sure to be romantic and incredible, but they just weren't us.

I can't wait for this week to fly be so that we can enjoy a fun-filled weekend visiting Universal Studios.