It is about the sand under your feet As the in coming waves wash it away. It is about the ultimate retreat You wish to find on a vacation stay. It is about time I spent with my love Without having to worry about work. It is about no new rules from above Coming from an administrative jerk. It is about time off that I deserve Because the amount of your workload. It is about the resting of the nerve Due to the fact of the stress that is sowed. It is about a moment within reach Where we can spend the day walking the beach.
As the sun set over the distant hills in Egypt, and I sat on the beach in Aqaba watching it go down, I thought about the close on another vacation. It was not one of my typical vacations where I would go out and try to see as much as I possibly could. Instead, I spent a lot of my time sitting next to a pool, and reading a book. Are there things to do in Aqaba, and could I have gotten out of my seat to do them? Of course there are plenty of things to do. I could have visited the castle that was once built to fight off any invaders that might have shown up to this shore. I could have explored the Roman ruins that are being unearthed here as they are in many other places in the area. I could have booked a snorkeling trip to check out the sunken boat or crashed commercial airplane. They would have made for an adventurous holiday, but it is not what I needed at this time.
I needed a vacation where I sat around a pool and relaxed on the beach.
I will always enjoy those trips where I go out and see and do a lot of things, and there will be many that are coming up where I will do exactly that. But there also comes a time where I need to recoup, and that is what this vacation was all about. Things have been a little crazy at work, and when I get back in a couple of days, they will pick up right where they left off. There are a couple of trips thrown in there as well, one with students of mine, so I needed to make sure that I was up for the challenge of this next run.
So am I going to remember a lot from this trip? Probably not.
It is okay though. I still had the sunset. I still had the beach. I still had the couple of days of complete relaxation. And all of this allowed me to keep my sanity.
Thank you, Aqaba for the wonderful vacation. I am sure I will be back again soon since you are not that far away, and during that time I hope to see more of what you have to offer.
It must be nice waking up being you With the joy that you greet each single day. Your sky must always be a crystal blue, Another opportunity for play. To all you meet, there is an infection That gives them the same happiness to spread. They will see the morning introduction Soaking up the cheerfulness that was said. You are not able to leave your hotel Because of the arrival of new guests, But it is not a bed that you will sell, Rather a relief from life’s harsh duress. The holiday here was comfortable Only because you were personable.
They have told me not to pay attention To the importance that they give a name, For it does not matter the intention As the identity will be the same. Ownership comes with specification To the ones who had first called it as so, No longer belonging to that nation, Letting the imperialism grow. When you go off to the celebration, Discuss why you go to dance and sing. Does it matter that the iteration Of a country is part of the ringing? So I would like to raise my glass in cheer To this great holiday, Lunar New Year.
John Collings 