A Vacation for the Soul

How to find peace in a busy life. I think many of us struggle with that. I remember when we first moved to San Antonio. No full-time job, I was only teaching one class per semester, I wasn't settled into my studio routine. My husband and I were like tourists, enjoying our new city. Now, we can hardly find time to enjoy all the activities the city offers.

After two months of feeling very stressed, for the past two weeks I have made time for the fun things in life. The photo above is our cherry tree in bloom (or maybe its a crabapple tree - we haven't quite figured that out!) With the beautiful weather we have had, I've spent time in the yard, pruning the plants, planting vegetables, pulling weeds. Ahhhh! That will lower the blood pressure!

Champagne - that's another one of life's pleasures. We've had a bottle of champagne in the fridge since New Year's Eve (didn't stay awake until midnight), and didn't feel we had a reason to drink it that was "special" enough. So, on Tuesday night, we sat out in the backyard and had a fire in our fire pit and drank the champagne. After years of living in apartments, we really appreciate having a yard. We used to have to go camping to get a campfire fix. Now, we just go out the back door. Ahhhh! Feeling more relaxed.

And last week, I took a mini-retreat of sorts. I was out of town teaching a workshop and stayed at a wonderful B & B nearby. The class ended at 3, so I took one afternoon and evening and dedicated that time to restoring my sense of peace. I had brought work to do, but I decided I really needed time off more than I needed to do the work. I spent most of that time outdoors, walking the trails on the property and sitting on one of the numerous benches. It is amazing how a few hours to soothe my soul gave me a whole different perspective on life.

You don't really need to go away to have a vacation for the soul. All it takes is a little time dedicated to doing what you love. I encourage you all to take a little time this week. Do something you love but haven't allowed yourself to indulge in recently. It may just be cheaper than a doctor or therapy!