Born in the wrong country

I know, I know. How could I say that? Yes, I love America and all of the wonderful things here. But there's one thing I wish we valued. It's something other countries value, but from our sea to shining sea it clashes with our hard work ethics and fast pace lives. It is the nap! Why, oh why, is the siesta not a part of our culture?

I'm stating here and now that I'm a napper, and it's okay. After this last round of "what's wrong with me?" tests with the doctor, I've come to the realization that 8 hours is the average amount of sleep a human should have, while I unfortunately seem to need 8-9 hours at night and 1-2 hours during the day. It isn't stress, bad health, depression. It's just me.

And I've got to admit I love napping. (sidenote: Chris just walked by while I typed out the last sentence, chuckled and said "like anyone who knows you doesn't know that. It's the understatement of the year") I look forward to my naps. I think it was at the end of middle school when I started taking an afternoon nap. I did it all through high school and college. I've decided nappers like me are the minority. We feel better, refreshed and clear headed after a nap. Chris wakes up angry, cranky and a pain in the butt. He is not allowed to nap.

I will say my brain logically fights the weekend naps. I'd like to get something productive done, but I have this wave of exhaustion come over me and nothing feels better than to give into it. In fact sometimes I wake up earlier in the morning to make sure I do everything I need to do so I don't feel guilty at 2 pm.

And so here's where the conflict comes in...I'm a working 8-5 mom. No sleep pods at my office. I plan all my very important tasks in the morning and my basic tasks after 2:00 if I can. If I find out I've made a mistake, I can bet money it was made between 2-4:00. Conference calls are a beast. I zone out and miss things. Just bad all around. I can usually push through with a much higher energy then I have on weekends, but there are days where I come home and end up falling asleep on the couch at 6 pm for an hour or two to recharge then staying up way too late. I feel horrible those days since I'm missing special time with Penelope. That's why on Thursdays Penelope and I take the bus from daycare to the library and then to the grocery store. If I go home I'm asleep on the couch, usually without dinner, which is what happened last night.

I dream of our trip to Italy a few years ago. We were in Venice and decided to go shopping after lunch. None of the shops were open. I was ecstatic! Here I was on the dream vacation of my life with so much to see. I'd feel guilty even thinking about a nap. Yet it was as if the Venetians were saying "Laura, you are with your ancestors now. Go take a nap!" And it was a wonderful nap...