We arrived back from St. Thomas on Tuesday night and home on Wednesday after sleeping at our park and fly hotel in Minnesota. Our trip this year was 3 weeks long, one week shorter than last year.
We found that two and a half to three weeks is our sweet spot. Both my husband and I admitted to becoming slightly bored at the two and a half week point of our beach life. We both have numerous hobbies, and except for me being able to crochet and write, it is hard to do much in a condo – no matter how beautiful it is.
I’ll add a couple of Medium friend links at the end so you can get an inkling of our trip. We had trouble getting to the USVI at the end of January due to Storm Fern and had quite the adventure. In addition, the weather was more rainy than in years past, but it is still vacation – and this unpredictability is what climate change is doing more regularly to weather patterns. With temperatures varying little between 78 and 81 degrees, even from night to day, going to St. Thomas and St. John is a welcome respite in the dead of a Wisconsin winter.
During our trip, I missed getting my New Year Poetry Exchange Postcards, but had a bounty of them upon our return home. My, what a talented group we have! I am floored by the creativity in what I received. Thank you, all!
I thought I’d share the photo/haiku cards I sent out to my assigned participants.
And although I tried to relax during our trip, I did some writing but didn’t push myself – because after all, it was vacation.
I also wrote an alphabet poem as a response to a challenge on Medium, which I’ll share at another time. Not much work got done other than my Medium articles and a few poems. I wrote 800 words for my novel and then thought they were lost for the first two weeks of the trip due to possible internet issues, which stopped me from writing more until my return home. The good news is that a few days before we came home, I found the chapter – I had saved it under another.
There hasn’t been much progress on my WordPress (this website) revisions either. But it will come, I just have to sit down and do it. It was a good vacation, and I feel relaxed. Now, it’s time to get back to business!
© Carol Labuzzetta, 2026
This week’s Poetry Friday round-up is on Chicken Spaghetti, the home of Susan Thomsen’s blog. Thank you for hosting, Susan!
Carol, so glad to hear you are back from a relaxing trip. I like your newsy post and the haikus. Yes, let’s be like the horses in 2026! The fire horse and the Connemara.
Thanks, Denise! I tried to write a poem about both horses but it wasn’t working, so I just decided to infer the meaning. I hope we are all strong and resilient this year – the year of the Fire Horse!
Carol, welcome back! Next year in January I hope to be somewhere warmer than New England. We’ll see. You’ve written some lovely haiku for your travel photos.
love hearing about your marvelous trip, Carol, the haiku capturing tha vacation’s beauty! Welcome home!
Carol, Welcome back, and your lovely post made me feel like I have been on vacation, too! Thank you for sharing your photos and poems and I am especially in love with your Connemara horse!
Carol, I’m glad you had a good time on your trip. There is a sweet spot for the the days of a trip for sure. I loved getting your card.
Thanks for taking me along with you through your beautiful words and photos. Welcome back!
Thanks, Rose!
Your postcards are so lovely, Carol. And so relieved for you that you didn’t lose that chapter after all!
Whew! I was relieved as well – I was so bummed when I thought it was gone! It was the type of writing that just felt good and flowed – and then to think I lost it! Glad you like the post cards, too!
Sounds like a relaxing and refreshing trip. Thanks for sharing you lovely photos which make me want to be a beach very soon! (she says with a sigh- 16″ due on Monday….)
“Bridges linking pasts
Take us to future places”
What a cool way to look at a bridge!
Thanks, Cathy. This is a very old bridge in Scotland that has a lot of folklore associated with it. Beileve it or not my photo is from a bus window as we zipped by!
Lots of news and writing inspiration from your sojourn, Carol. Your stay has been productive. I thoroughly enjoy the writing emerging from those locations we visit. It is fresh and distinctive. Your poems are clear evidence of this type of influence.
Thanks, so much, Alan. I appreciate your support and kind words. I think travel does inspire me – providing fresh perspectives, as you noted. It also makes the world a musch smaller place.
What a beautiful place to vacation. I hope that while you weren’t producing work you were able to recharge your batteries. I loved all the NY postcards too! So fun to see all the differences —but all united in poetry and friendship. It’s a good group!
It is, Linda! I am so happy to be part of the Poetry Friday group. I did recharge my creative batteries while we were gone. Now I have so many ideas, my head is spinning and there’s not enough time in the day! lol.
Carol, I am happy that your enjoyed your vacation. You certainly have wonderful memories and gorgeous photos to remind you of peace and calm. Now is the time to settle down with your hobbies, story, photography, poetry, and jewelry making. Back to Business – you’re ready!
Thanks, Carol! I appreciate your support and kind words. I do feel that the trip rejuvenated me. I have lots of new ideas swirling around my head!