We just returned from a 5-day getaway, first visiting family and friends in northeastern Ohio and then exploring Pittsburgh for the first time.
What is it about vacation that's so magical?
For me, it's taking a break from most of my responsibilities. It's getting up without an alarm clock. It's not thinking about laundry or dishes. It's ignoring email and text messages. It's putting down my phone and engaging with the people and places around me. It's living in the moment. It's prioritizing fun over productivity.
Taking a break isn't necessarily about relaxing. It can be doing something completely out of the ordinary, which for us was logging mile after mile on foot, consuming far more calories than are recommended, and soaking in the sights and sounds and tastes of a new place.
When I returned from vacation, the obligations were still here, but I was refreshed enough to be able to tackle them. In my last day off before returning to work, I made phone calls I had been procrastinating. Laundry didn't feel like such a chore. Eating healthy food felt like an extravagance.
It's a privilege to be able to abdicate responsibilities periodically, and then to take them up again. In whatever way you're able to, I encourage you to take a break.
Photo by Alex Machado on Unsplash