Vacation Fixation

There's Bree, my wonderful loving girlfriend.

A few short months ago we made one of our greatest decisions since becoming a couple by choosing to become SCUBA certified.

I have lived my entire life in Miami, within minutes of the Atlantic Ocean, without ever really immersing myself in the water. By becoming a certified open water diver, I have found a hobby that I can truly love and enjoy on a regular basis. In the span of the past few months, Bree and I have completed over a dozen dives and have bit the bullet by purchasing all of our own equipment. Diving has given me a new sense of calm and relaxation when I needed it most.

As you may have read in my previous post, I recently graduated from college and have joined the ranks of corporate America. And, while life confined within the grey fabric walls of a cubicle has its advantages (enhances the humor of Office Space), it has already begun its drain on my enthusiasm and fervor for life. I find myself fantasizing about a lifestyle overhaul or a career path redirection.

The thought of gathering my scarce belongings and trekking over to Silicon Valley or Europe seems evermore enticing. I long for 2 hour lunches lounging by the canals of Copenhagen, Denmark and the carefree creative office environments that Silicon Valley startups have to offer for a young ambitious developer. I know the dream is still out there waiting for me, and maybe one day it will be within my reach. But, it seems the longer I wait for this day in my cubicle, the less I feel I will have the balls to step up and take it.

These facts lead me directly to the primary subject of this post, my vacation. Don't misunderstand me, I love my job. Nothing satisfies my more than sitting for hours on end behind an LED screen typing away on some programming project (I can't even drag myself far enough away from a computer to stop when I'm at home). And, not to mention, the benefits and coworkers at my place of business are outstanding. I mean, I LOVE cruising, and now I can do it for FREE! But, regardless, I need out of this damn cubicle.

So, here we go...

Bree and I have made the decision to plan a vacation for just the two of us this December. A chance for the two of us to escape the trappings of our cubicle lifestyles and enjoy the allure of the caribbean. We are considering many different cruise options, since we would have to travel on stand-by without any confirmation until the week of the sailing.

It's been on our minds for a few weeks now (not to mention she's also planning a cruise to Greece with my family next summer) and we have narrowed our options down to caribbean cruises leaving out of Miami. We want the opportunity to dive again in the warm waters of the caribbean sea, and these trips are the most cost efficient. All of our selections sound incredible, and it will truly be a great experience just to get away together and relax.

At this juncture in my life, even a week at home without major responsibilities sounds incredibly enticing. My last semester of college was the most stressful of them all, and transitioning straight into corporate America has not left me with much relaxation time. So, once my vacation time kicks in (sometime in mid-November) we're gone. For as long as humanly possible.