Recharge your batteries
It’s the time of year when we take vacations. Often our vacations take on this ideal in our heads and often don’t live up to our expectations leaving us feeling a little deflated and perhaps not as ready to return to our regular lives with batteries fully charged. So how do we overcome this?
Like many living on the East Coast, we travel annually to a beach resort. The annual family vacation is one filled with lots of pool time, sleeping late (if you want), family dinners, and, with the grandchildren, many loving memories. The trip this year was not very good (for me). I had a root canal the day before we left that resulted in a tooth infection (I am honestly not sure how that happens, isn’t the root canal supposed to solve the problem?) coupled with a bad head cold. By the second day of vacation, I was in serious pain. I spent most of my days lying down and concentrating on not hurting. I had great plans for this vacation, all of which were scrapped. However, I did recharge my batteries. I focused on doing only what I could and did not stress about missing out. I felt fortunate to not have any demands of daily life allowing me to recover and I came back ready to jump back in. If it is not going as planned, make lemonade out of the lemons. Sometimes that is the only thing you can do.
I have learned over time that not all vacations are the same. That sounds obvious, but back to the beach vacation. I feel fortunate to be able to do it and I do enjoy it, but it is not my ideal. Sitting on the beach and reading a book will only keep me going for a few days. My batteries are best recharged when I am exploring new places and learning new things. Knowing this, I plan vacations with this goal in mind. Before you make your plans, think about what energizes you. What is your body and mind telling you that you need? Maybe you need to see the blue skies of Montana, the woods of Maine, or the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe your legs need a really good stretch on a long hike. Maybe you yearn to see great art or learn to make pasta. Whatever it is, make sure your vacation includes those activities. Even an active vacation can lead to a recharge of your batteries. Remember, someone else’s idea of a great vacation is not necessarily yours.
Finally, I have found that over time, the types of vacations I have enjoyed, and which have recharged my batteries have changed. In addition to the beach, when the kids were young, we did a lot of cruises that met the needs of both adults and children. I still like a good cruise but have turned to other ways to enjoy time off. The lesson here is don’t get stuck in a rut with your vacations. Be open to something new.
Wherever your summer vacation takes you, enjoy the time off and do the things that refill a glass that might be half empty!