Follow the Water

It's time for us to relax. We are leaving for vacation and heading west to my favorite place in the US, California. I love it for the wine, the beach, the laid back attitude, and as my dad would say, "the land of the fruits and nuts" (crazy looking people, usually found around the beach), I just like to just call it people-watching.

I was at the dog beach this morning with Bailey, and it has turned into one of OUR favorite places. She absolutely loves the beach, and I have come to appreciate it as well. I think the best time to go is as soon as we wake up. I like to beat the Chicago summer time traffic, and have little distractions once we get there. As soon as I open the gate to the beach, Bailey shoots off like pinball in the first game. She sprints ahead swinging her frisbee, showing it off to the other dogs for what they can't have. She runs back to me to make sure I made it in ok, and then goes full throttle to the water. This morning there were only about 5 other people at the beach (usually there's at least a 100). People were laughing at her as she made it to the water and jumped in the waves, peeing immediately (a dog beach no no, but Bailey does it anyway). It's pure joy, for both of us. I don't think it's a coincidence that I got a dog that loves the water as much as I do.

I am excited to leave town for a little while, take a break, and reconnect with my husband. I need a break from IVF, trying to conceive, work, and yes, even my beloved Bailey. We will take time to sleep in, sip on wine, lay in the sun, and just "be." I can't think of anything better.