Oh…zarks!

Vacation was so much fun!

I flew into Branson, MO, which has the most bizarre airport I’ve ever seen. I’m all for a good theme, but when I stepped off the plane and saw that there was no Hudson News, but there was a General Store, I think I actually said out loud, “Is this a joke?” Eric, who had arrived on Wednesday, came and picked me up at the airport and we made the two hour drive to Camdenton, MO where we were staying at a golf resort.

The pictures on the web site didn’t do it justice, and neither do my pictures. The whole scene was so beautiful — rolling hills and mountains dotted with little brown cabins and just so much green. The weather was amazing too; it was so nice to finally experience summer like I’m used to.

Eric had told me months ago that while the guys golfed all day, he “honestly wasn’t sure what the womenfolk did all day.” I don’t think he was serious when he said “the womenfolk,” but the word stuck, and kind of became a joke over the weekend.

Each morning, the guys (Eric, his dad, his brother, and his uncle) would get up  and head out to golf. Then Eric’s aunt would come over to our cabin with her two kids (Eric’s cousins) and we’d head out on an activity.  The thing was, despite Eric’s lack of knowledge about what they do all day (“I think they just hang out at the cabin all day and then make dinner”) the womenfolk actually had a lot going on each day! On Friday morning, we went horseback riding and then went on a cave tour.

After our morning activities, we’d have lunch and then head back to the cabin to relax/nap for a bit. The menfolk would usually stay around napping while we headed back out for some easy activity — to the grocery store for dinner items, to the outlet mall, or to the clubhouse for a drink.

And can I just say that the womenfolk? Are a blast. We had so much fun. It’s nice to get along with your significant other’s family but I feel lucky that I just really like them and wanted to spend a lot of time with them! I didn’t miss Eric too much when he was out doing menfolk things.

On Saturday, his mom rented a boat and we took it out on the lake for three glorious hours. I parked it on the boat with my Kindle and read most of The Paris Wife, which I ended up finishing on this trip.

I loved the scenery, the prose, and the whole idea of it The Paris Wife, but honestly, it just left me feeling more depressed with each chapter I read.

Aside from that book, the day was great, and really, the whole trip was great. It was fun and relaxing and everything a summer vacation should be. I actually felt almost as sad saying good-bye yesterday as I feel when I say good-bye to my own family. I guess that’s good that I had that much fun, but it’s still making today a bit of a struggle.