A Day Off In The Life Of... Cont.
I'm driving on the open road, feeling invincible, embracing every moment of this day off. I know every song that comes on my favorite station and I don't have to change the channel once. There's been no traffic and no flashing red and blue lights in my rearview. It’s about an hour into my journey and I come across a Dunkin' Donuts. My stomach is telling me it's ready for food. With no time to waste on this precious day, I swing around the building in the drive-thru lane. I order a strawberry-frosted, sprinkled donut and a frozen chai latte. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, or healthy people, but I am neither of these things, so I enjoy my sugary meal as I drive down the highway.
About a half hour after my heart attack-inducing breakfast, I whip into the parking lot of the Tanger Outlets in Ocean City, MD. Shopping (you didn't honestly think I'd go a day off without it, did you?)! It's a little after 9am and all of the stores have opened. I'm overwhelmed with decisions about which stores to explore. For the sake of this fantasy, let's assume my wallet is full (all that working has to pay off eventually). I make a mental list of all the stores I want to go in: American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, PacSun, Rack Room Shoes, Home Goods, and Coach (just to look, my wallet's not THAT full). I peruse my way through each store, weaving in and out of fellow shoppers. I manage to find a few items I absolutely must have. With full shopping bags in hand and a feeling of satisfaction, I decide I am ready for lunch.
My sister is already at the beach (every day is a day off for her). She is my best friend and my favorite lunch partner. We've already made plans to meet at the restaurant, Sakura, at the outlets. What's a day off without sushi? She pulls into the parking lot in her not-so-clean car. I place my bags in my trunk and head her way for the routine "I-know-I-saw-you-yesterday-but-I-missed-you" hug. We chatter about the weather, our hunger level, and my store purchases as we walk inside and wait to be seated. Once seated, I order an iced water with lemon (to make up for the donut) and the Godzilla Roll (a delicious combination of spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, crab, and crunch). She orders the California Roll (so basic, but I love her). As we eat each tasty piece of rice-rolled seafood, we discuss our plans for the remaining half of the day. That's right, my magical day off is now half over. But that's my pessimistic work-all-the-time-self talking. The relaxed, sushi-filled optimistic me is excited that I still have an entire half day left to do whatever I want. So what adventures still lay in store?
