The Catch Up Vacation

Originial Draft-
Vacations are like watching the Superbowl. They all start with nervousness and fanfare, but in the end, you have a fifty-fifty chance of being disappointed. Sometimes, though, if everything is just aligned, fate can shine upon you and result in a perfect experience. My latest vacation was one of those perfect alignments. Our vacation began in our previous home state, Charleston, SC, leading to Panama City Beach, FL, and ending in Mobile, AL.
If you have not traveled to the beautiful city of Charleston, I will be happy to inform you of its wonder and beauty. It is picturesque, romantic, and just plain fun! We started off visiting friends. Our arrival was impeccable, as there was a party at the bar I worked at part-time. The party was for one of my close friends, in celebration of his birthday. The food was typical bar cuisine, (barbecued little smokies, baked beans, fried chicken, etc.); it went well with the drinks! After filling our stomachs and our glasses, we went to our friend’s house to settle in for the night. The next day we enjoyed nature walks, swimming in Lake Moultrie, barbequing, and taking some nice pictures. The ducks in the area are so tame; they actually were begging us for food the minute we came into view. Sadly, this was our last night in Charleston.
The next stop on our agenda was Panama City Beach, FL! This place is beautiful, the beaches are breathtaking, and the attractions plentiful. My husband was attending dive, so unfortunately there is not too much to tell, that doesn’t involve myself, white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and a lot of suntan lotion. I will leave that to your imagination. It was the most relaxing part of my vacation, which is a good thing, since the final stop was most taxing.
Mobile, AL is the first southern state I resided in, as an adult. I have many friends there, whom I have not been able to visit for a long time. It started off with both my husband and I, unfortunately he was not able to stay long. I was able to visit my two best girlfriends! It just happens both their names are Missy. I was amazed at how their kids had grown. It was a spectacular time, I really couldn’t ask for a better ending to an already glorious vacation. I managed to get some time in at both of their houses, we ate at old restaurants we enjoyed, hung out at old hangouts, and we were able to catch up on times lost. It was non-stop fun with old friends, for as long as we were able to stay awake.
I left early the following morning, to catch my flight back to Virginia Beach, from Pensacola, FL. The flight was delayed in Atlanta, GA, for 8 hours. As uneventful as I expected the flight to be, I actually bumped into a girl I baby sit, here in Virginia Beach, while at the Atlanta airport. It was nice to see her and made the delay a little smoother.
I spent two weeks and had traveled across three states. It was a whirlwind of activity. I saw things I had not seen before. I also saw people I had not seen in ages. I enjoyed so much needed rest and relaxation. It was the best vacation to date, and I can only hope my next vacation proves just as enjoyable.

Final Draft-

Vacations are like watching a Super bowl where your team is the winner. For example, the 2009 Super bowl, where the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals for their 6th Super bowl win. They all start with nervousness and fanfare, but in the end, you have a fifty-fifty chance of being disappointed. Sometimes, though, if everything is just aligned, fate can shine upon you and result in a perfect experience. My latest vacation was one of those perfect alignments. Our vacation began in our previous home state, Charleston, SC, leading to Panama City Beach, FL, and ending in Mobile, AL.
If you have not traveled to the beautiful city of Charleston, I will be happy to inform you of its wonder and beauty. It is picturesque, romantic, and just plain fun! Charleston has old world charm; it’s a huge tourist city in the summer and in the winter it turns into a big college town. Charleston has spectacular restaurants, from five star dining, to the street corner hot dog stand. If you are ever in Charleston, the corner hot dog stand is a tasty treat, after a night out on the town. The cuisine is delicious and mouthwatering. Anyone who stops in Charleston should try the She-crab soup; it’s fantastic, unless of course you are allergic to shell fish. Downtown Charleston is the place to be any night of the week, the culture, food, and scenery is absolutely spectacular. Be sure to take a walk on the pier and play in the fountain. As it says on the license plate beautiful places and smiling faces, Charleston, SC.
Once we arrived in Charleston it was party time. We started off visiting friends. The picture is courtesy of my personal photo album. That is my husband with his tongue sticking out, my girl Jess, her husband, and myself in the front. I love this picture. Our arrival was impeccable, as there was a party at the bar I worked at part-time. The party was for one of my close friends, in celebration of his birthday. The food was typical bar cuisine, (barbecued little smokies, baked beans, fried chicken, etc.); it went well with the drinks. After filling our stomachs and our glasses, we went to our friend’s house to settle in for the night. One of my favorite Charleston past times is boating with my best friend Chris. The schedule for the next day was filled, but we couldn’t stand it, we had to take the boat out on the water, if only for an hour. Then we enjoyed nature walks, swimming in Lake Moultrie, barbequing, and taking some nice pictures. The ducks in the area are so tame; they actually were begging us for food the minute we came into view. Sadly, this was our last night in Charleston.
The next stop on our agenda was Panama City Beach, FL! This place is beautiful, the beaches are breathtaking, and the attractions plentiful. My husband was attending dive school, so unfortunately there is not too much to tell, that doesn’t involve myself, white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and a lot of suntan lotion. I will leave that to your imagination. Panama City Beach is home to some of the most unique shops. One store was filled with tropical birds, while the owner of another store had a monkey. It was the most relaxing part of my vacation, which is a good thing, since the final stop was most taxing.
Mobile, AL is the first southern state I resided in, as an adult. I have many friends there, whom I have not been able to visit for what seems like decades. It started off with both my husband and I, unfortunately he was not able to stay long. I was able to visit my two best girlfriends! It just happens both their names are Missy. I was amazed at how their kids had grown. It was a spectacular time, I really couldn’t ask for a better ending to an already glorious vacation. All three of us were able to get together at the same time. I imagine we sounded like a sorority house with all the chattering going on. I managed to get some time in at both of their houses, we ate at old restaurants we enjoyed, hung out at old hangouts, and we were able to catch up on times lost. For a moment it seemed as if I never left Mobile, AL. It was non-stop fun with old friends, for as long as we were able to stay awake.
I left early the following morning, to catch my flight back to Virginia Beach, from Pensacola, FL. The flight was delayed in Atlanta, GA, for eight hours. As uneventful as I expected the flight to be, I actually bumped into a girl I baby sit, here in Virginia Beach, while at the Atlanta airport. It was nice to see her and made the delay a little smoother.
I spent two weeks and traveled across three states. Each state was different, for example I visited three beaches (one in each state) and each beach was different. Panama City Beach is filled with crystal clear waters, while The Gulf Coast was churning and raging from a tropical storm, and Charleston was calm, quiet, and overflowing with breathtaking beauty. It was a whirlwind of activity. I saw things I had not seen before. I also saw people I had not seen in ages. I enjoyed so much needed rest and relaxation. I was even able to spend some quality time with my husband. Quality time with your husband when he is in the Navy is a precious thing. It was the best vacation to date, and I can only hope my next vacation proves just as enjoyable.

English Class is Almost Over

The decision to take an eight week English class at Tidewater Community College isn't the best decision one can make, but a decision I made. Cramming well over four thousand words into eight weeks proved to be challenging. The instructor has methods of teaching that were new to me; this made the class more exciting and easier to keep interest in. Some of the teaching methods used in class consisted of media, visual references, and public presentation. Speaking in front of a group of people is challenging and rewarding at the same time. Well, maybe not at the same time, more so after the presentation is over. Even though the workload seemed too much at times, this was a good class and I learned some valuable lessons. The class served as a good source for discussion and the students are encouraged to communicate with each other. There were many intelligible discussions in class. Getting to know my classmates and interacting with them was a nice change of pace. Most of our work was due in the last two weeks of class; this made it very difficult to effectively spend the proper amount of time on each assignment. Did I mention this wasn’t my only class? I took a full semester for my first semester of college. It’s been a while since I was in college. Taking this English class required me to push myself very hard in order to complete my assignments effectively. Writing a paper at the last minute is not my style, and it was hard to find a balance in such a short time frame.
There were many assignments to do, this is not a class for just anyone. People who write papers at the last minute, don’t do their homework, or are just plain lazy should not take this class. Stick with the sixteen week semesters. Some of the assignments included; a rhetorical analysis essay, restaurant review essay, and the final essay. The final essay was an argument research essay. It was a very extensive assignment and required a lot of time in the library, on the internet, and in front of the computer. The assignment also consists of a presentation given in front of the class. This assignment sucks. I’m sorry Paul, but that is all I can say. I practiced in front of the mirror last night; I choked up many times in front of myself. Now would be a great time to insert text speak, but I know better. Assignments like the argument essay and presentation proved to be very challenging and required resources I have not used in a long time. I learned a lot from doing this assignment and I hope my classmates did as well.
Fast forward to the last assignment and here you have it, a blog. Of course it’s not just any blog; it’s a reflection of this class and a revised essay from the beginning of the semester. Also something I am doing for the first time, and I am a computer savvy individual. I guess the proof will be in the pudding, or in my grade. Blogging is not something I do, or will most likely do again after this assignment, unless of course another blog assignment is required. Time is valuable and I already spend enough time on my computer as it is.
English class was good, at times challenging, more challenging then I wanted to deal with sometimes, but still good. The teacher is a good teacher and cares about his students' success. Isn’t that what being a teacher is about? Fortunately for me this will be my last required English course, but if I need to further my studies in English I will choose the same teacher. If you are not willing to work for your grade and are just looking to make a passing grade, don’t take this class, find another teacher. If you want something out of class and enjoy modern teaching methods you will get a lot out of this class. Image of cheering cat courtesy of Google Images. One final note; I believe I am done!