Monday, September 10, 2012

Here's to matrimony, the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented! ~ Heinrich Heine

One way in which my Dear Hubby and I differ is when it comes to planning.  He loves to have every second of every endeavor of his scheduled out to the micro-second.  He would disagree but, believe me, it's true.  Give him an idea and he worries it like an old dog worries a bone.  As for me, I would much rather go with the flow.  I have put up with his way of doing things when it comes to planning a trip for years, mainly because I've either been at home raising our kids or basically working part time so when vacation time comes around I've gone along with it because it hasn't really mattered to me one way or the other.  I haven't had the time constraints he's had working full time and he's always worked so hard I figured he deserves whatever he plans out.  I mainly go along for the ride, take along books and whatever to keep me occupied while he hunts.

That's the way it's always been, and it's worked out fine for us.  No friction whatsoever.

Until this year.

This year we've decided we're going to take a drive to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to the Sault Ste. Marie area of the state as well as cross over into the Sault Ste. Marie of Ontario.  I don't know why but from the time I was a little girl and first spotted it on a map, the name has intrigued me.  I never dreamt I'd be within a day's drive of it, but here I am!  And then Dear Hubby starts in:  "Can you look up the distance between here and there?"  "Should we do this?"  "Should we stop there?"  "Should we make reservations here, or there?"  On and on down the line. 

I put my foot down.

I told him this is one trip I really really really want to go on.  And I want to do it my way.  I want to meander.  I want to stop for coffee along the way.  I want to pull into antique shops on the side of the highway.  I want to stay wherever we spot a place that looks comfortable.  I want to take it slow and easy and relaxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.  No time tables.  No time limits.  Just go to Sault Ste. Marie, travel along the southern shore of Lake Superior -- another place I would love to see --  loop around to the northern shore of Lake Michigan, come back across the Mackinac Bridge...and arrive home at the end of a week.

I think I took him a little bit aback.  He asked me a little hesitantly, "Haven't you enjoyed the trips we've gone on in the past?"  And I answered yes truthfully.  But I told him, "There's always been an agenda.  If the hunting wasn't good here, you wanted to go there.  I don't want it all scheduled out.  I want to...meander."

He said "Ok!"

And then started planning on taking a boat trip to some island or bay or something.

And I said, "No."

"No?"

"No."

And outside of knowing the week we're leaving...because we do have to know that...that's as far as our plans have gone. So far.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Here's hoping your meandering holiday goes as "planned"! :)
Rosemary

LC said...

Bravo for you. My hubby is great at planning, but once he arrives at a destination he enjoys "just being," his words for your meandering. And I have been the one that has to go to every museum, every historic site, every cathedral.Like you, he would find a coffee shop or a bench situated for prime people watching and tell me where to meet him after I finished some must see "sight."

Over the years I started easing toward his approach. Once I had a stroke last year, I had no choice. Enjoying just being somewhere is now the easiest of my limited options and i am finally fully appreciating why my husband enjoys that so much.

Enjoy!

Judy said...

Sigh...
Someday, I'm hoping to drive around Lake Michigan, taking three weeks to stop to enjoy each small town along the way. And the big towns too!
After that, I want to go to Civil War battlefields, but I'll have to find someone to go with me, as Steve has NO interest in doing that.
The UP is beautiful.
Do you have Under the Michigan Radar on your local PBS station? It's on once or twice a week on this side of the state. The show highlights Michigan towns. It's amazing what I've missed in the towns I think I'm familiar with.