At one time or another in our lives, we all recall those memories that tend to bury themselves in the back of our minds. Not because we want to forget them, but because it’s been so long, that when something triggers that memory we find ourselves saying, “oh yeah! That did happen, didn’t it?” Accompanied by a goofy ass grin on our face because the memory is an event we wish we could relive. This very thing happened to me a few days ago.
I was lying in bed thinking of all the places I’ve been over the course of my life, places I’ve visited multiple times, places I’d want to visit again, or places I’d never dare visit again. While in this process, I thought of a time 5 years ago when I snuck away to Atlantic City with someone I still hold very near and dear to my heart. And I say “snuck away” because I told no one where I was going or who I was going with; except for my aunt who would be keeping my son while we were gone. I didn’t even tell my roommate! Why didn’t I tell anyone? Well, it’s simple: sometimes it’s nice to get away without all the questioning, the tagalongs and the worriers. I wanted to be spontaneous and escape reality. And that’s what I did.
At the time, I belonged to this mailing list for cheap hotel deals. I received an email for one of thee nicest hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, right on the boardwalk! It was such a steal! I knew I had to jump on the opportunity and coincidently, it was super close to the birthdate of the guy I went with, so why not?! Just the thought of being able to spend a little time with him alone made me so giddy, like a school girl. It was time to start planning and letting him in on my idea-which he of course loved. I remember him telling me no one had ever done anything like that for him, which made me happy because I love doing things for others. He had never been before and I had, so I told him I’d show him the ropes 🙂
We made the road trip from Maryland to AC….a few hours drive. Because I made all the arrangements, he drove, and when we got there we were shocked at how beautiful the room was. I couldn’t believe it was only $40/night! At one of the most expensive hotels in the city! (The Trump Plaza). We mapped out what we planned on doing for the next few days and started our trip as anyone who goes to AC would….in the casino! Free drinks and gambling, who would pass that up? We made some money, lost some money and drank free drinks. Win win. We walked the boardwalk from our hotel down to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, where we drank more, and at the end of the night we took one of those cute little buggy rides back to the hotel. Over the next few days we went to the beach, did some shopping and sightseeing and just enjoyed each other’s company. During this trip, we weren’t in a relationship or dating (although our friends would tell you differently) and it didn’t seem like anything special in the moment. But in retrospect, as I reminisce back on this time, it was definitely something special. It was something that I hadn’t shared with anyone since my sons father. I mean, it really wasn’t a regular occurrence for me to take a random trip with some guy who happened to be in my life. So this was different for me. And thinking back on that experience makes me smile. Thinking of all the good times makes me smile. We didn’t argue, we didn’t bicker. It was just. pure. fun. I would love to relive this.
You don’t have to be in a relationship with someone to share a special moment. Sometimes all it takes is two personalities that mesh well together and enjoy having a great time with each other. That’s exactly what it was. I can’t say it was entirely platonic (I mean come on, we did share a king size bed that weekend-wink, wink) but for what it was, I think it was needed to make our friendship stronger. Especially considering we were going through a rough patch at the time with reality at home.
I wonder if he remembers this trip….(confirmation: I asked him after writing this and he said he does lol)
Moral of the story: always strive to make memorable moments, whether it be spontaneous or planned out. Continue to live life fully. Nothing brings a warmer feeling to your heart than thinking of a moment in your life that simply makes you smile. I can actually say that at this juncture in my life I was fully living in the moment. Spontaneity and all!
And my reason for sharing this is to recall a time period where I was genuinely happy. I was happy with everyone and everything in my life….something I’d like to get back to.
XOXO,
TJ