On The Road
Hey! I never understood the importance of vacations when I was growing up… mainly because we were poor and could never afford to take them. Being older, not poor, and having taken the time to relax on vacations, I see the power that lies within getting up and going away. Absence can make the heart grow fonder and it can also give you time to go within and find yourself 'you time.' When you have a life where you give of yourself to others (which we all do in some way or another) making time to give to yourself must become a priority.
I am heading to NYC tomorrow and looking forward to seeing my friends and family. I am excited about getting back to the Sunday 'Open House' with my father (poets, singers, artists all convene to discuss their work, politics, history, the future, racial and social justice issues, and more), hanging with my brothers (I have 5) and catching up w/my friends. I am also looking forward to having some distance between me and my daily grind. I need to actually have the perspective to see where time is being utilized well and where it is not. I know there are places where tightening up need to happen. Being away is great because it gives me the space and the vantage point to see how I may be over extending and or being inefficient in various areas of my world. I love how travel can be clarifying.
Now New York is pretty far away, but it is necessary for me to connect in person with my family. However, one need not leave the state to find that time away that they need. You can take a day trip to any number of places that are cheap and easy to travel to in order to get that same perspective. I like www.airbnb.com to find cheap and lovely places to crash if I want a mini vacation. Changing the scenery is a great way to spark changing the interpretation of things in your head. Getting away for a moment can be the thing that keeps you from becoming bored, overwhelmed, or stuck. Sleeping in a different place, waking up to different sounds, being surrounded by different energy, can bring a re-appreciation for your life that you don't often get when you don't actually leave it.
So get up, get out, and get a new view. Sometimes we have to look at things from another direction to see them clearly.
xo
a