Palm Springs
This last week I took off 3 days from work and traveled with my family to Palm Springs California. My husband and his family are huge Oklahoma University fans and they follow women’s softball. My almost 90-year-old father-in-law keeps handwritten stats of all the players and since this Mary Nutter Softball Tournament was down in Palm Springs, and possibly one of the last ones he might be able to attend, I decided to join in with the little excursion. Several of us even got tickets to see a few women’s professional soccer games that were going on at Coachella while we were down there.
My daughter, daughter-in-law, and 8-year-old granddaughter along with my sister-in-law, her husband, and my father-in-law all drove down from Central and Northern California. Myles, Dave and I flew into my hometown of Burbank and then drove to Palm Springs.
Gratitude for Generous Friends
When we told our old neighbors from Folsom California that we were headed to Palm Springs, they told us that we “must stay at their second home down there.” We took them up on the offer, and had no idea that the home was going to be such a beautiful retreat, sitting right on a golf course. The house accommodated 9 of us and it was absolutely gorgeous…better than a 5 star hotel. The only thing that was complicated about the weekend was figuring out how to work the bougie coffee machine that was designed to be our own personal barista. I guess I’m just not that fancy when it comes to getting my cup of coffee in the morning. We gave up by Saturday and ordered a Starbucks traveler.
Brief Reset and Unplug
One of the things I really love about being self-employed is the ability to flex my schedule to allow myself the opportunity to do spontaneous trips, and embrace some little adventures. However, as a business owner, sometimes work looms overhead, and there is usually always something that needs to be done, or changes that need to be accommodated for in someone’s schedule. Yet, this weekend I really embraced a lot of rest, fun, and the ability to let go and know that all would be waiting for me when I get back.
It was so nice to not be constantly checking emails, scrolling on my phone, and or preparing for something. I really just enjoyed watching softball and soccer, conversations with family, and of course…ate completely off my normal schedule which I paid for later.
Resets Don’t Have To Be Big
Sometimes when clients tell me they can’t take big vacations and or travel it’s because they are thinking too big and feel that in order to relax they need to plan multiple weeks of vacation. While a short 5-day trip might not bring the respite that lounging on a beach in Bora Bora might, I do find that it is a necessary and important way to grab a little Ventral Vagal reset! We all need to find rest and peace with joy and contentment. When we are so busy rushing and spinning on the hamster wheel of life, it’s easy to lose sight of these little Ventral Vagal breaks. In order to stay in balance, I have learned that I can work hard in sprints, and then play hard to relax and embrace fun. These little breaks make it bearable to endure the crunch and the business of my day-to-day work schedule. Having something to look forward to when I know a break is coming, seems to work for me.
Goal This Year
Dave and I have a little 24-foot Airstream van that helps us stay motivated to travel and get out of the rat race. We took our calendar out at the beginning of the year and decided that we would book at least 1 long weekend vacation every month this year. When we don’t plan, it’s easy to fall into the rut of just doing nothing and wishing we had done something. So we took the initiative this year, and we will plan to hit our goal for travel, even if it’s just boondocking along the side of the river at some off-the-grid location.
My hope for you is that you too will find a way to rest and get a little rest and relaxation. We can only control what we can control. Life is busy, full of expectations and commitments, and we are the only ones who can take control of what we want or don’t want. Learn to say Yes to things you want, and No to things you don’t want, so you too can protect your time and create little vacays throughout the year.