When jet lag is totally worth it

This weekend, Ian and I made a quick trip to Philadelphia to surprise my mom for her 50th birthday. When we arrived, we found my step dad had blindfolded my mom and driven her to the airport for the first reveal (and tears) of the weekend. The look on her face totally made the six hour flight worth it. That evening, we had a nice homemade meal before Ian’s family rolled into town.

The next morning, my mom and I took a nice walk before brunch. Fall is absolutely my favorite season, in part because it has the perfect ratio of crisp to cool to woodsmoke to golden sunshine to falling leaves. It was the perfect day for a walk, especially since fall works the biggest miracles in states with actual trees.

Afterwards, my sister, my brother’s girlfriend, and I stole my mom downtown for lunch at the Continental and mani-pedi’s at Thread Beauty Bar. We arrived back home to a sign announcing “Karen’s Turning 50,” a houseful of friends and family, and of course more tears. The party was a blast, and I have all the incriminating photos and videos for proof.

Sadly, the next morning it was time to catch a flight back to LA. I know most people hate travel, and it’s not always the most fun (don’t get me started on how US Air charges you for a glass of water on a six hour flight) but I usually enjoy the act of just sitting still for awhile. It really forces you to slow down, which is often a welcome relief. Unfortunately, due to studying for an upcoming law exam, I wasn’t able to partake in my airplane tradition of voracious reading for pleasure. When I got home I rebelled, diving into one of my favorite books on writing, Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. It’s a delightful book filled with funny, wise, and honest advice, and its short chapters make it easy to pick up at any time. It was the perfect way to round out my very hectic weekend. All in all, the trip was a success.

Filed under Books I Like, Life | Comment (0)