Now that I am down to one week before winter break, I am letting myself focus on Florida.

It’s sad to say that I don’t really consider visiting family “a vacation,” and it’s not because I don’t love family–especially my new, very lovely family. It’s just that we’re not exploring a new place, and I always crave new adventures, so it’s a different kind of travel and nourishes a different aspect of me.

This is comfort travel. There will be sunshine (I assume), a welcoming guest room, and plenty of food in the fridge. (Thanks, Ma!) What’s not to like? One of the best parts of marrying Steven is that his family came with the deal. (Yes, this is the sound of me sucking up. No wonder they all like you better than me!) But really, it’s true, plus it’s nice to have family in a warm place when you

live in Chicago. Who wouldn’t want to stroll on the beach and smell the salt air instead of bustling again the cold wind and spreading salt on the ice?

So while I don’t think of Florida as a real “vacation,” (boy, am I spoiled!!) even if I get to see alligators in the Everglades or eat Cuban food in Miami, I am very happy to be going. We are also lucky, because we have the luxury of picking our dates of travel since, surprisingly, it is not cheap to get to Florida from here during winter break. When I get to the $500+ airfare mark (I will not fly basic economy–again, spoiled), I just start to think, “I could go to Paris!” We did manage to find only somewhat inflated airfares, so off we will go to fabulous Ft. Lauderdale!