Yesterday was perfect. Included with our stay here at Club Intrawest is four hours of free bicycle rental each day. We picked up our one-speed cruisers and headed toward the beach.

We met Helene at the bike rack, struck up a conversation and had an hour tour with her as the guide. She was great, touring us through this maze of gorgeous homes on the golf course, the bay or just in landscaped green spaces. Her and her husband have their second home here, driving down from Atlanta, Georgia whenever they can get away. It was fun pedalling with someone who knew the area so well, not to mention she was just downright pleasant. Thank you Helene (I hope I’m spelling your name correctly. Let me know if I’m not…)

The afternoon was spent at the pool and then YIPPEE! I got more than an hour of writing down. Bless my husband. When I suggested I’d like to do that, he promptly jumped in the car to get a few more things for our martini-happy hour and let me sit and copy and paste and edit and write and generally feel like I’m managing to keep this commitment to myself to write every day.

We went for dinner at the Marlin Grill in the Village of Baytowne Wharf…yes, this the same place I was less than complimentary about in yesterday’s post. But I’m softening my stance somewhat.

I don’t know why I have to relearn this a million times a year, but there is a difference between a travel trip and a vacation. This place is about being on vacation; as in vacating from one’s life and responsibilities and cares. What happens in this protected enclave is the chance to shut yourself off from the reality of the nasty world.

We met a mom with her four children on the Intrawest complimentary shuttle and it became clear to me. The rest of the year I imagine she concerns herself with medical bills (her husband fought cancer for 7 years), homeschooling her kids, keeping things going and… then for this one week, she knows they can come to this piece of unreality and everyone is safe from all of it. 

Granted it takes some money to get to this place to begin with, which of course, creates more bills to worry about. But let’s not go down that road for now.

Instead I’m just going to enjoy walking forever on the white sand beach with my husband and the promise of a chaise lounge with the jaunty red umbrella and my lovely book. And later today, after my generic but oh-so-tasty Starbucks cappuccino, I will keep my promise to myself and do some more writing.