Last night I had one of those weird dreams. It was neither frightening nor happy. Just an odd one. Hubby and I were on vacation in My Favorite Country in the Whole World ™. Someplace we may never visit together as we don’t have the money or time for that kind of vacation, but someplace I yearn to return to. In this dream, we had just arrived the night before and had gone to a little church to renew our vows (odd in itself, as I don’t see us as the type to do that). All of a sudden, the minister starts lecturing Hubby, something about soap being missing from the bathroom. Hubby pulls out a sad, lathery little sliver of soap from his pocket, then starts complaining to me about the rude minister, to go on like that in front of a church full of people we don’t know. I get kind of grossed out by the nasty soap remnant, wondering how many funky hands have touched it, and wondering if it’s ruined his jacked from sitting in his pocket. And I wonder, of course, why the hell he took it in the first place. I remind him that people in this country can be very rude and that I had warned to be polite before we came. Next thing, we’re in a car with another couple who are taking us to their apartment for lunch – a local couple we had only just me in the church.

I’m not sure what it all meant, but I have a couple ideas:

Hubby always forgets to replace his soap in the shower when he runs out, so he uses mine until it is gone or he remembers to put a fresh bar in. He uses soap that dries my skin and makes me itchy, so I hate when he uses mine up. I loathe to get out of a warm shower and freeze my ass off while searching the cupboard for a replacement bar.

People in My Favorite Country ™ can be very rude, yet many are extremely friendly and generous. That may explain the dichotomy between the minister and the couple.

I’ve had My Favorite Country ™ on my mind for a while. Dad went back to visit family this past fall. Just a few weeks ago, my boss was there for a week-long conference. I also recently saw a show on PBS about sorts of cool Christmas festivals and markets that happen there each December.

I asked my boss what he thought about it, and sadly all he really had to say was that it’s very expensive (it is) and he doubts he’ll ever go back. No comments on the amazing scenery (he rode by train cross-country so he had an opportunity to see it) and he stayed in a gorgeous area...well, most places there are gorgeous. No comment on the culture or food. Nary a candy bar was brought back, either.