24 hours

The drive to work this morning was so much more appealing to me as I drove with the knowledge that my skin was significantly tanner due to my runaway day trip to the beach.

There's something special about taking a 24-hour break to a warmer location and returning to work with that coat of warmth that surrounds the beach-goer's skin.  It comes with the knowledge that you beat the system; you had fun during the work week.  You ran away for 24 hours and came back tan, showing it off with your dark skin the next day as you came into work.

Yeah, that's right. How about them apples?  I took a sweet spontaneous vacation with sweet people to visit sweet people, and ended up visiting more sweet people that I didn't know I'd be able to visit beforehand.  I had my first Maggie Moos, I jumped around and did gymnastics, I fell on my back twice being ridiculous, I jammed to 90's music and Hellogoodbye, I ate a ton of fruit snacks with melted chocolate chip cookies; I had the time of my life.  Best of all, in case I should ever forget that I had the time of my life, and in case I forget just where my swim suit lay on me on that lovely Tuesday, all I have to do is look at my back to see the line of contrast between Spaniard skin and darker/redder Spaniard skin.  That coat of warmth that traveled with me to work this morning will serve as the physical proof, the physical reminder of my fabulous 24-hour break to the beach.

Just in case I would ever forget within the next hour or two. Or Twenty-four.

~Esa Cita