Drink The Wild Air

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink the wild air.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

While there are many things I am good at, taking time off, away from work is not one of them. I will occasionally take a day or two off here or there, but scheduling an actual vacation, where you leave your home, drive to another location, and stay for an extended period of time…well that I just can’t bring myself to do.

Until last week.

For years I have gathered up vacation time, only to have it slip away at the end of the year. Each and every year I deprive myself from taking time off…to relax, to regroup, to decompress.

The last real vacation I remember was 22 years ago, back in 1994…REALLY? REALLY.

2016 has been dubbed the year of change for me, so in February I planned a getaway with a few of my girlfriends.  We were off to the beach, a place I had not seen in 25 years. Once my deposit was sent in, it was official….I was going on vacation.

It didn’t take long for regret, and doubt to set in.

I would have to spend money.
I would have to find someone to care for my dog.
I would have to actually LEAVE my dog.
I would have to take off work.
I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OFF WORK!!!!!!!!!

That last one was a big one for me.

Who would fill in for me?
What would happen if I took off?
Could they EVEN make it without me?

For the next 4 months I did nothing but fret, worry, and stress about going on vacation. What the crap is wrong with me????? Most people hit the door running, and I was practically being pushed out by my co-workers.

A week ago last Saturday it was finally time to go. I tearfully kissed my fur baby goodbye and hopped in my friends car.

Vacation was ACTUALLY going to happen.

The drive was uneventful and tiresome, but before long I saw it…. the ocean! We rolled down the windows and sucked in the salty deliciousness that abounded. Within mere minutes of throwing my stuff in the room, I was out the door and on my way. It had been 25 years since the ocean and I had met, and I was ready to reconnect.

She met me in all her beauty and awesomeness, and it was glorious!

My first minutes in the waters and sands of the mighty Atlantic in 25 years.

What had kept me away for so long? Suddenly, I could no longer remember.

 

 I took in the majesty and power of the sea, and felt my anxieties and worries drift out to sea with each receding pull of the water and sand. I found myself enjoying sitting on the beach….doing nothing, walking and talking with my friends in the evening, and exploring places I had never seen. It truly was a vacation.

My week flew by fast… too fast.  As I stood on the waters edge that last evening…. I made a promise to myself and to God…..

I would not wait so long for my next vacation. Work, responsibilities, and life will always be waiting for me. Rest is not a sign of laziness or weakness, it is needed in order to remain strong. God even encourages it….

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 

Take time to rest. Take time away. Life will be there when you return. I promise. How much better you will feel once you drink the wild air!

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