This past weekend, in an effort to dislodge my experience speaking at the Hispanic Business Expo last weekend, Mom, Max and I went to Dunedin, Florida. I’d never been there before, but it was great!

Our original plans were to go to Treasure Island, but there was a water leak and our original hotel had to cancel our reservations. Turned out to be a great thing. We stayed at Beso del Sol in Dunedin. If you’re in Florida (or planning a trip), I highly recommend this place.

We paid $140 a night for a 2 room suite that could sleep 6. Full kitchen and two balconies. The balconies overlooked the unfinished courtyard of the $500k condos next door, but that’s ok. Two bathrooms. Two pools and a jacuzzi overlooking St. Joseph’s Sound. So relaxing.

We were further from Treasure Island, but closer to Tarpon Springs. Not that we got there, but that’s another post.

We did go to Honeymoon Island, which I’d never heard of. Gorgeous beaches, which weren’t yet crowded. We even got to watch a beach wedding!

What else…amazing seafood, as is always the case when I go to the coast. Max had a blast. And Mamon did too. Who knew that the swimsuit that had been gathering dustballs would be her liberation?

Enjoy a video from our trip. And no, Mom, I won’t delete it. That’s what you get for having a blogging daughter. No privacy.

Now that I have your attention.

=                                

So not long ago I was enjoying some “time” with my husband and things kept popping in my head.

“I really hope that client pays me soon. What if he doesn’t? What will I do?”

“Oops. I forgot to put the clothes in the dryer. As soon as we’re done, I will.”

And so on.

It reminded me of how the same thing happens when I try to meditate. You know, where you try to focus on your breath but that slips away and you start a laundry list of the things you’re going to do as soon as you’re done with this meditation, which, quite frankly, is getting in the way of that list of things getting done?

Yea.

It’s so hard to turn it all off and focus, isn’t it?

So, this doesn’t affect you nearly as much as it does me, but Max and I have finally decided to bite the bullet and move to Joplin, Missouri in June, where the hub is working. For the summer. Not indefinitely. And, well, Max didn’t so much decide it as not know at all. Otherwise he’ll be asking me daily when we’re going.

A month ago, Max said, “Mama, this house is old. When can we get a new one?”

He’s got our wanderlust.

So I’m not thrilled about hanging out in a town that reminds me a bit too much of the stuffy town in Arkansas I spent far too long in college in, or the town that for no apparent reason got dressed up like zombies and paraded down Main Street. I kid you not. These people have time on their hands. Anyway, I’m not in love with the idea of living there, but I am in love with my husband, and since he is there for the foreseeable future, we will suffer.

The good sides to this are:

• Family back together
• Closer to my mom and brother
• Cheap rent
• 3000 square feet. We pay $1600 for 1600 square feet in Orlando. There 3k costs $1000. Yes!
• This amazing tortilleria. Mm. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
• Double Wal-Marts. Coming from Arkansas, I couldn’t believe a city the size of Orlando didn’t have more. So I will have two at my disposal.
• A really big, cheap liquor store. Hey, that’s important.
• Cooler summers. Maybe? Not sure.

So stay tuned for my adventures in Joplin. Misfortune and weirdness always make for good blog fodder, no?