vacation in the poconos

There’s a delicious shiver of anticipation when you’re going on vacation. You feel it as you pack, eager to land in a new space and just breathe. You notice it when you’re scrolling, looking for activities or restaurants that you now know you have the potential to stumble upon. It’s there as you begin your travel day–from the moment you first wake up to the point where you lock your front door. 

This past weekend my family and I took a trip to the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. I remember going once when I was in middle school on a school trip, but these mountains don’t remind me much of the Blue Ridge Mountains I adore in Virginia. 

Thursday August 3, 2023

We left on Thursday afternoon. We got to Port Authority to take the Martz Bus up to Pennsylvania. The Martz bus was way cleaner than I remember the Greyhound being, but you really don’t have a lot of space to move. But the windows were big and so I spent two hours looking out the window.

We arrived at the Poconos Mountain Villas around 6pm, and the anticipation was finally met with the beginning of relaxation. The villa we stayed in was honestly a little house/apartment. It had 3 bedrooms with a living room, a full kitchen, and 2 bathrooms. The furniture style was quaint but I didn’t hate it, particularly because all the natural light was incredible. The downside of our stay was that it was unfortunately a cloudy weekend in August.

We immediately headed out for dinner after arriving and went to the Warehouse Grill, which had a pretty decent menu. My dad and I shared a pizza and sweet potato fries, while my brother had his own sandwich and onion rings.

I loved the room I got. It had a little patio (which was honestly the best thing in this vacation). The room had a simple setup. A dresser with a TV on it (only 60 channels). A large king sized bed. Two side tables with two decent-sized lamps. The almost floor-to-ceiling window/door. I have to be honest and say that I had a very simple desire on this vacation: to channel flip and sit outdoors with a book.

That first night I got into the pj’s with a cup of pomegranate tea and channel flipped. I found PCN, a channel about new books in Pennsylvania. And I started the one physical book I bought: How To Stop Time by Matt Haig (just finished it. I have to say that it’s good. A bit too much telling instead of showing but it’s good.)

What’s the last vacation you’ve been on?

Vacations can tend to be all about the action. What do we get to see? What do we get to do? They can be about filling in as much in as little time as possible. But that usually leads to fatigue and a sense of not-enough-time and no rest to show for it. This vacation wasn’t like that at all. My mom lamented that we didn’t do anything about this vacation. Despite the familial bickering, that’s what I liked about this vacation. The timelessness.

I didn’t mean to make Matt Haig’s book the theme to this post, but I do think timelessness is an important quality. One we experience less and less as we get older. We are so attached to our planners and our Google calendars and our Apple watches. Even with the anxiety they produce in us. Lisa Olivera, a writer I follow on Substack, wrote about timelessness recently. A state in which you’re not thinking about time or wondering how much has gone by. You live in the moment and the moment expands for how long it’s supposed to be. It’s not meant to be quantifiable. In fact, the very act of not quantifying it makes it timeless. 

Those moments I would open the patio door and read for a bit. The most I got was probably two hours before one of my parents would be looking for me. I’d either be reading Matt Haig or You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith, and it was delightful (until the next interruption). 

Vacations are usually categorized by seeing and going but this vacation was more resting and staying. Watching the trees dance with the breeze. Reading Tom’s or Maggie’s journey on the page (absolutely incredible read. Just clever formatting!)

Friday August 4, 2023

On Friday morning, I awoke to a little groundhog just running around outside. Allowed myself the first scroll in my social media break on TikTok. I definitely would love to recreate Kimberly’s brutally honest day in my life series on here at some point. Also, found this TikTok on how God sees time—time was seriously not the theme of this point, but it snuck in anyway. 

Friday night, I did some journaling, looking forward to my birthday on that Monday.

I turned on the morning news, and can I say that this is one thing I absolutely love doing! (sorry for shouting, but I seriously love this). I’m not a news person, not at all, but give me some local news and I am there. Let me hear about the fundraiser that organization is running. What’s the fun event for the summer? I delight in local news.

Also, fun thing: Samantha Schacher, who I used to watch on Youtube (Pop Trigger), popped up at the end of a news show in Pennsylvania. What a random world!

Saturday August 5, 2023

Saturday morning news was delightful too. It was the sunrise segment at 7 in the morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found out about Musik fest and how popular it is in this region of Pennsylvania. I had ginger tea this morning. The cloudiness continued so I stayed in bed, watching the sweet Happy Birthday segment (so personalized!). 

More groundhogs were spotted. Trees were admired and more reading was had. I did see a red robin and red-chested swallow. I’m not a birder, but one day I want to be. For Saturday night’s dinner, I got a panini and more sweet potato fries, and then I curled up outdoors finishing Maggie’s book. 

I love ending my night with tea and channel flipping. I am trying to end my nights at home with a book in hand because my eyes are always on screens, but on vacation, it was the opposite.

Sunday August 6, 2023

Sunday morning, I finally saw blue skies and of course, wind up seeing pinecones. I don’t fully believe in coincidences because I believe in God, but it’s funny after reading Maggie’s book that I encounter several pinecones.

If you’re going on vacation, do whatever you can to slow down, take a real rest. Get lost in something to where you experience timelessness, where you just are wherever you are.

Wishing you the best, friends!

Signing off, 

Gigi