armlessbear.com

I used to take off every Thanksgiving weekend and spend a fun-filled weekend in London.
Dark, early nights — cool, not cold, often rainy
Pubs, black taxicabs, and Red double-decker buses
Festive holiday lights lighting the way from Oxford street on down to Piccadilly Circus,
Harrod’s luxurious Christmas displays and decorations
Portabello Road market on Saturdays
Brisk winds off the Thames (but oh, the spectacular view!)
Winding streets that always left me wishing I’d brought a compass,
The Tube and it’s disembodied voices reminding us to “Mind the Gap”
The weight of a pound coin in my hand

It’s been eons since I’ve had a real vacation that involved more than 3-4 days off from work doing something fun and interesting. I don’t even have an active passport anymore or an inkling of where I’d go if we suddenly had the time and money to take a real vacation.

And where’s all this longing coming from? I started the wrong playlist on my iPod — the Christmas one. I like the Christmas season – the mood and the music and the snow and the dark wintry nights (even if it does start too early) and Thanksgiving weekend used to be the official beginning of my Christmas season.