How You Know

There are not subtle cues that one needs a longer vacation outside of the home and Michigan when several things happen:

• When you are gone from the house for a little over 24 hours and it feels like a lifetime: This means you have been the house for entirely too long and need a longer vacation asap. Preferably some place where your toes will finally be warm. Without wool socks on.
• You talk about how balmy your walk in the woods is. The problem with this is that it is Michigan, in March, with about 8 inches of snow on the ground, and it's probably only 37 degrees.
• The highlight of your Saturday is running sap, metals pails, and spiles.
• You are inordinately excited about the hotel bed. You have never slept in anything so wonderful. You ponder how to strap it to the roof of your car to take home.
• You cry when you return to your beautiful custom built (by you and your partner) home and realize you'd rather be back in the 565 sq ft hotel room.
• Your tears intensify when you further realize you could live in said hotel room every day of the month for less than your current home costs you per month.
• And finally you know you better stop crying because a new class starts tomorrow and it's going to be an intense five weeks taking a six credit class dealing with acutely ill people, so you better try and get a small blog post in quick to let people know you are still alive (for now), your kid is still charming you, and your albatross of a house is still for sale.