6 days and 14 hours, but who's counting

Once again we'll make our trek northward to Cape Cod for our vacation.  And other than the fact that I can't seem to locate my Teva sandals anywhere, I am ALREADY PACKED!  This has to be a record for me and I'm sure I'll still be running around like a crazy woman the evening before checking and re-checking everything.  But right now...in my mind...I'm halfway to the Cape.

This is our 10th anniversary of this trip.  We began in August of 2001.  We had no idea that one week after our return home, the world would change.  We had no idea that 10 years later, our little piece of the world would have this one week of recurring sanity to keep us going forward.

My VP often shakes his head about my return to this "local" vacation spot year after year.  But there is something so special about the Cape.  Hubby will say it is the light as he gets up at the crack of dawn or earlier each day to capture the special early morning rays with his camera.  Our travel companions will say it is the easy going beachside environment - not crazy like Jersey Shore, not fashion-conscious like the Hamptons.  I say it is the peace.  Even though we have a house full of people and personalities, we know the place like our own hometown and we have the routines in place that we all enjoy.

Chocolate covered bananas in the freezer on Day One through Day Seven.
Zweigel hots imported from my hometown and ready for spot grilling anytime.
The lobster pot dinner event.
Lunch and antique shopping on girl's day out.
Three books in one week.
Broken down beach chairs and old college comforters on the beach.
King Rummy card games after dark.
Nosh-fests on the deck watching the sunset.
Wading in water so cold your toes curl in protest.
Low-tide marathon walks.
Fresh donuts from Flemings.
Fried seafood at the local shacks.
Half-price end of season t-shirt sales.

When we began this journey 10 years ago, Miss Chloe was 6 months old.  Her brother only 7.  Now he is 17 and starting his senior year of high school, and she is 10, taking the world by storm.  We've lived through the years of crying baby, sand rashes, and fear of the water.  We've lived through the bored antisocial teen.  We've lived through personal strife and tragedy, fair weather and foul, an uprooting of the traditional rental location, and all sorts of other ups and downs.  In the end, no matter what, it remains the single week I look forward to the most every year.

As we speak, one more item is getting crossed off the list.  Hubby is talking with our cat-sitter for our time away who's getting educated on dry/wet cat food, water supply, tricky locks, cat toys, cable tv use, etc.

And me?  Well, I just ordered some new Teva's (to be sure if mine remain lost I'll have some for the trip), my bag is packed, my checklist is half done, and I 'm charging up the camera.  Because the anticipation is almost over and the reality is almost here.