The picture above was taken from the back of a houseboat last summer. Every few years some of my in-laws and a few friends take a houseboat trip to get away from it all. This past summer we decided to make the trip to Kentucky Lake. We boarded the boat on Sunday and we headed home on Thursday.
The trip is one of complete fun and relaxation. I have often wished that the trip was one that my husband would enjoy and go along. Everyone else on the trip brings their spouses and I, instead, bring a wonderful friend. Julie and I have been friends since we were in high school. She went to college while I got married and had kids. After college she married and has a wonderful family of her own too. Our sons are the same age, the difference is her son is her oldest child and mine is the baby of our family. We have so much in common, even though we live so very different lives. I live in a small town and am an office manager. She lives near a bigger city and is an attorney. We are the type of friends that even though we don't talk often, when we do it is as if we spoke yesterday. I wish we lived closer, but even though we don't we know if needed the other would be there in a minute.
This trip is one I look forward to. It is filled with laughter, some drinks, and a lot of relaxation. It is one time where I don't feel responsible for anyone but myself. I do my share of work on the boat, but I eat when I want to, I sleep when and however long I wish, and I float in the water for hours at a time.
When I look at this picture I can still hear the waves slapping against the houseboat and the birds chirping as they were flying around. I can feel the warmth of the sun hitting my face as I relaxed on the deck of the boat. I can feel the calm rocking of the boat and if I listen real close the sound of a fish that has flipped out of the lake can be heard as it slaps against the water. I usually am the first one up in the mornings. I like to get up and take in the peace and quiet of nature for a few minutes before I make breakfast and begin the days. It is times like this moment that I am at total peace.
There is a spiritual feeling when you take the time to bask in the beauty of nature. Taking the time to enjoy the wonderful world that we have been given. It is so easy to believe in God when you are able to sit and pray in silence while being surrounded by such amazing sights as this. Watching the sun come up over the lake and realizing that each morning we are given a new day, a new chance to make ourselves and the world around us even better is such an overwhelmingly good feeling.
The boat trip is only four days every couple years. I am already looking forward to the next one. I love the people that I get to spend those fun filled days with and for some reason, spending the time on a boat with them makes it even more special. My goal, though, is to find this same beauty in my everyday life. I have been blessed with the most amazing people that I am allowed to spend my days with and even if we aren't on a boat, or in such calm surroundings I am so glad they are along with me for the trip called life.
