Time off

I have been off of work for a little over three weeks now. I don't think I have ever been off for this many days in a row. In my life. Not even after surgery.

The first two weeks were filled with the wedding and honeymoon and the third week was just, well, time off. Going into this current week it has been more of the same.

I decided to use this week to drive down to Florida and visit with my sister and my aunt (who had some unexpected surgery and was unable to make it to the wedding) and it has been great. South Florida rules. Always has.

The things that I have enjoyed about these past two weeks are sort of surprising to me. Never much of a girly-girl, things like accessorizing have never held much appeal to me. Well, about two days before our honeymoon I bought a new purse. One of those "The Sak" purses in a neutral color to take with me on the honeymoon. It seems to have started there.

Next thing I know, I am wearing skirts, heels, necklaces, rings, sun hats, and LOVING it. The idea of going back to work and going back to that boring-ass black purse that I am forced to carry in the military actually makes me pout a little bit. I have really gotten used to my new purse and my palm tree necklace. And my pretty double Swarovski crystal rings in pink and white that match one of my new tops and skirts perfectly. See that? Who the hell just wrote that last sentence??

I knew that I didn't take enough time off after my deployment. I did that because I knew that I was going to be taking close to a month off for my wedding/honeymoon. I think perhaps that the deployment changed me. Some good ways, some not so good. But I like this new side of me.

I also know that once I go back to reality that not only am I not allowed to keep this up, but I won't have any desire to keep it up. It isn't worth coming home from a 10+ hour day to put on accessories and change purses for what amounts to an hour or two of free time in the evening before I have to go to bed.

I only hope that when I retire, perhaps I will remember this short time frame where I was able to discover a new side of me that I really like and feel comfortable being, and will still have the desire to try.