That Tricky "E" Word

How often have you looked forward to something with excitement and high hopes only to find that your romantic dreams met a different reality? It happens to all of us… it’s the “e” word… Expectations. Take our recent trip out of town for instance. I would like to wax eloquent about the unbridled bliss of having a few days away from home to enjoy a change of pace and a large amount of quality time with my husband, or so I thought. Instead, I’m staring at the title of my blog, Candid Reflections, and am reminded that I have promised a frank and honest evaluation of life as I see it. (Hmmm…is it too late to change my blog name to: “Diane’s Fakey Facts”?) See, I’d rather not admit that I became rather ill-tempered about what I perceived as an unmet expectation surrounding our little “getaway”. Make no mistake, I knew this was a business trip I was accompanying my husband on and that he would be rather tied up a large portion of the time. But we had both thought my job would be to relax, take in a few local sites, do a little shopping….or "whatever I wanted…gosh!!" So, when several people asked me if I had “fun” accompanying Brad on this recent business trip, truth was… what I had was an attitude problem. I thought I’d tell you about our “getaway” in stages. Today you get the picture perfect, Norman Rockwell, Polly Anna version. However, stay tuned for….the rest of the story.

A few months ago my dear husband invited me to accompany him on a business outing to Galveston, Texas. He let me know that the conference he would be attending was booked at one of the nicest resorts in the area. Brad knew I had so much fun last time I joined him (last May we went to Orlando) and thought this would be another chance for me to “get away” and do whatever I wanted for a few days… a real “just pamper yourself” type vacation. His thoughtful desire to provide this change of pace for me is so appreciated!! Although he would be tied up during the day in meetings, it stood to reason that we would have our evenings together for romantic dinners and long moonlit walks on the beach. Sounded good to me!! The great part was the four star resort and all of his expenses would be paid for by the company…so we only had to cover my food. Finally the day had arrived for our little excursion. Upon arrival at our resort, we could quickly see this was indeed one of the nicer accommodations we have enjoyed. This beautiful hotel was located along the Galveston seawall and each room was reported to have its “own private balcony, offering a magnificent, unobscured view of the Gulf of Mexico.”

Brad felt, from a business standpoint, the time during his conference was very profitable. He was able to enjoy a lot of good food, a relaxed atmosphere with work associates, an afternoon of golfing with “the guys”, plus some nice company perks and gifts. And to top it off, his wife was waiting for him when he returned to his hotel room each night! I was enjoying the change of scenery as well, having a break from the routine of home base, living in clean and beautifully appointed accommodations and landscape, and having a maid to clean up after us! I especially enjoyed spending several hours down on the beach with my camera chasing the sunrise, waves and seagulls with my lens. After one such photo session, I headed over to a local IHOP and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast…made to my exact order…while lingering over the pages of the book I am currently reading. Eating out has always been such a treat for me. I love enjoying good food and fellowship and then being able to just walk away without having to clean up the mess made by preparing such a meal. Our second evening there Brad let me know spouses were invited to a company sponsored outing for dinner. We traveled by chartered bus to an area by the harbor called “The Strand”, well known for great restaurants and lots of neat shops to visit. His company had reserved a large room at a wonderful seafood restaurant that overlooked the pier. We enjoyed a buffet with an endless supply of fresh seafood; shrimp cocktail (my favorite!!), gumbo, fish, crab, etc…, salads, twice baked potatoes, chicken dishes, prime rib, and a delectable assortment of desserts. Upon returning to our hotel room we noticed that the maid had been in to prepare the room for our return. The bed linens were turned down, chocolates placed on our pillows and a fluffy terrycloth spa type bathrobe was waiting on the bed. Yes, this has truly been a fun, relaxing change of pace. Our last day in Galveston, Brad was through with business by noon. We packed up and headed back to the harbor area of town and ate lunch at a quaint little Middle Eastern café before heading back home. Once again I was thankful for an opportunity to take time away from our routines, to stop and admire God’s creation and share a new setting with my dear husband.