#2731 wellness Wednesday: appreciate all of it

“I bet you hated to come back.” I hear this statement almost every time I return to the office after vacation.   The truth is, as much as I love being on vacation, having new experiences, and seeing places that I haven’t seen, (or even if I have seen them!) I am okay with coming home because vacation is just that..a vacation, a break from my real life. I guess when it comes to vacations, this is my philosophy:

 

Having great vacation memories that I can call up when I’m feeling blah, sad, bored, or even happy, is such a cool thing. The other day I was in the office. Work was extremely busy and I was stressed that I wouldn’t be able to get everything done. I turned away from my computer to look at the postcards I have on the bulletin board in my cubicle. In that moment, I was immediately transported back to Manarola, Italy, the town in the Cinque Terre where we had a wonderful lunch. I was sitting at the patio of the restaurant, looking at the sparking Ligurian Sea, sipping from a glass of cold white wine, watching the people go by while I waited for my pasta. What a wonderful memory! I turned back to my computer and went back to work, still smiling from my mental break. 

Today I took the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood at lunch time. It was quiet, and the sun was shining. It made me think that maybe someone who lives a different life from mine would think that the luxury of walking a dog in a quiet neighborhood where you could hear birds chirping, breathe fresh air, and see a clear blue sky might think all that was pretty marvelous, a wonderful change from her every day routines. 

I was glad to be out with the dogs this afternoon. This morning I got up a little early and sat out on the back deck with a cup of delicious coffee and my book for about ten minutes before I logged in for work. It was awesome! It was just different enough from my regular routine to be special. Now I just need to get some flowers on the deck so it looks a little prettier! I haven’t taken the time to do that yet this spring/summer. 

What I’m getting at is that vacations are awesome. I have many, many great memories, and I am thankful for every opportunity I have to get out of my regular life to have new experiences. I am also thankful for my regular life because it’s good. Sometimes I forget, though, and at those times, I recall the wise words of Sheryl Crow from her song “Soak Up the Sun”: