The Rest of the Story....

No need to fear; I am not channeling Paul Harvey!  At the end of a busy, emotional, and exhausting Monday, I truly know that my mini-vacation is officially over.  I am not entirely ready to let it go, so I will give you the rest of the details of my trip to Branson, Missouri.

On Friday morning, I began the day quite late and headed to Silver Dollar City.  I expected a small-scale theme park that was unable to compete with the larger parks I have visited.  What I discovered is a charming park that is content with its own identity without attempting to compete with any other place.  While not filled with spectacular thrill rides, Silver Dollar City has a certain charm that was relaxing and exactly the experience that I needed.  And I can't forget to mention the amazing taffy that I bought;  I just finished off the last of it tonight (and I haven't decided yet if that's a GOOD thing or a BAD thing). 

I left the park a few hours later than I intended, so I wasn't certain I would be able to get tickets for a show that evening, but I decided to give it a try.  When I walked into the discount sales center, I was a bit shocked when they laughed at my request.  Now I realize just how funny my introduction must have been.  "I want to see a show tonight and need some suggestions.  Let me tell you what I don't want though:  no country music at all and nothing that is completely driven by the music."  What else is there in Branson?  My request shouldn't be that unexpected to some of you.  I wanted to get as far away as I could from everything that was stressful in my life at the time - that included my work in the musical field.

To my delight, the ticket agent had a wonderful suggestion:  the Chinese acrobats of the Shanghai Circus.  Even though I was late for the show due to Branson's heavy traffic, I was mesmerized by the dazzling display of skill and artistry that I experienced.  I won't go into too much detail about the show here as it is going to be the basis for my next blog on Collaborations. 

Saturday morning, I got up to get everything packed away for the trip home.  Before leaving I was to have lunch with a dear friend who is now living north of Branson.  The food and the company was wonderfully insightful, uplifting, and encouraging.  All in all, my lunch plans at Fuddrucker's was a fitting end to a great vacation.

I don't know when or where, but I am confident that another mini-vacation will be in my future.  It lowered my stress level, renewed my creativity, and enabled me to come home with new-founded vision and drive.