Vacation diary: Ireland 2023
In which I do a fair amount of whining before learning a Valuable Life Lesson.
I used to make comics about being on vacation while the vacation was ongoing, but that’s become more difficult over the past couple years. I miss it! Instead, these days, I take lots of pictures and make lots of notes and then when I am home (and have unpacked and washed all the laundry and dealt with all the mail and paid all the bills and assured Chickpea I still love her and also apologized for leaving her) I spend some time at my desk, trying to figure out what story I want to tell.
I came home from this vacation feeling extremely tired and stressed - not the holiday feels you want! I noticed, though, as I worked through analyzing and drawing the trip, that the good moments far outweighed the stressful moments. Interestingly, the longer I spent drawing, the more humor I began to find in the difficult times and the more joy I remembered about the good times. By the time I got around to the last page, the fond memories had largely taken over and I was feeling so happy about our trip!
And this, I think, is why I have always preferred drawing during the holiday in the past. The act of drawing makes me slow down and think about the day. It gives me an excuse to really linger over the most interesting moments. I realize now that I need the calmness that drawing time brings, particularly when I am already out of my comfort zone.
Also, though, I really need to remember to do at least a little yoga when we’re on holiday. My back will thank me!