Vacation.

I have been on stay-cation for the last week and a half. My mental breakdown was timed perfectly with a scheduled holiday from work. When I say "vacation," I mean time to focus on my job here as CEO of Davidson Enterprises. That's my favorite stuff.

Mostly, for the first four days, I did laundry, stared at the ceiling, drooled, and stared some more.

“He had withdrawn solely for his own personal pleasure, only to be near to himself. No longer distracted by anything external, he basked in his own existence and found it splendid.” 

― Patrick Süskind

Am I the only one that needs to do this sometimes?

Well, by the end of those four days, I started to really get into being home. Jack was studying, and I went through drawers, organized, started Thanksgiving baking, serviced the car, and conquered the world.

I started living again. You know how I know? Instead of functioning in auto-pilot survival mode, I started noticing things like this:

{Vintage Lamppost in the fall spotted on a walk around Lake Merritt, Oakland, California.}

I passed by this when I was walking in the rain to snap a few photos of Davidson Way. I dropped the car off at Acura on a Tuesday morning at 8am. I was outside. In public. On a weekday. Just living. It was fabulous.

Another few snapshots I got while strolling like an aimless transient around the lake:

{Look at these fall colors. I am in love with the architecture of this area, too.}

{End of the lake after the fall morning rain.}

{Lake architecture in the fall.}

Here is Davidson Way, a street that I came across when I was parking one day in Oakland. When I first happened upon it, I didn't have my fabulous new camera yet, so I originally took a picture with my iPhone. One of my vacation missions was to go back with my good camera and capture the cute alleyway officially:

{As you can see, I used a rendition of this photo as my blog header. I am in love with this mural.}

{AND a kitty lives on Davidson Way. See him in the window? Are you kidding me? The combined color, style, and presence within this alley, especially after the fresh rain, is the epitome of who I am.}

ANYWAY...

I've really enjoyed this chance to regroup. I feel refreshed. I had a chance to talk/vent/catch-up with some of the wives here, my dear mother in law, and Jack, about everything happening (the good, the bad, and the ugly). It feels good knowing I am not alone. That we all have our own struggles, and it is how we approach them. I know hubby and I are exactly where we need to be, and I am THANKFUL for the opportunity to get to struggle through this experience, if that makes sense. Not a lot of people are forded the opportunity that Jack and I have been offered here in the Bay area. Bring it on, world!