I’m back from my week off in that magical place called Palm Springs. Yes, I go to Palm Springs in July. And this July, it was perfection. Zero traffic on the drive out, 101 on day one, 104 on day two, and it was going to crack 108 the day I left, but I hit the road before I found out if that came to be. The skies were blue and the sweet breeze did not stop. All I did was lie by the pool, listen to cult podcasts and watch the tall palms sway…and maybe fell asleep (briefly) in my lounge chair once or twice. To me, it’s like lying in a beautiful sauna, detoxing the neg. Letting it all the merde fall away.
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For the longest time, I did not take proper vacations. No, camping is not a vacation; camping is work. No, going to visit friends — while absolutely fantastic — is not a vacation; it’s a “visit”. Restoring and wonderful in its own way, but it is not a vacation. And, no, a trip abroad is not a vacation. It’s a trip, which is an action word, requiring action. While travel is mind- and heart-opening, it’s not my idea of a vacay.
To me, a true vacation is doing absolutely f*ck all. This is why I’m so good at them now.
My Palm Springs getaways are done solo. Being an introvert (even though I present as extroverted), I need that. Like really, really need that. I need that peace, that quiet, that do-what-I-want-if/when-I-want. And allowing that to happen, totally guilt-free, is the balm.
PS was different somehow this time. It was even more welcoming, even more magically healing. Maybe it was the weight of the literal world I was letting go of. Perhaps it was this particular ending/beginning that introduced the shift. But I left the desert lighter and more open. And, gawd, that feels good.
How often do we allow ourselves to do nothing? To rest and rejuvenate? To be present and still? To a degree, we are taught that’s a waste of time. Overly indulgent and selfish. We should be doing something. Otherwise, what’s the point, right?
The point is to open up to yourself. To give yourself space and time to be. The stillness to hear yourself. Connect with you. And that may sound selfish or indulgent. So what? It’s healthy and healing, and we need to do more of it, more often.
I don’t need to point out the dumpster fire we are in right now. There are other people doing a fine job of that. But we need to shed some of that soot every once in a while so it doesn’t smother us. Because it will, if we let it. It’s sort of the point of why it’s being done.
I was gone just shy of 48 hours and came back renewed. There’s a lovely stillness in my center that I hope will stick. Because right now is hard. And we need to have good energy and calm strength to do the work that needs doing to put out this fire and rebuild. We also need to know how to clean the crud off of us so we aren’t stained in the process.
Not everyone can afford to go away. I get it. I use points, go mid-week and stay at a no-frills place that has just what I need. But here’s a trick I learned when I couldn’t afford an escape and needed a break so I didn’t close completely:
Give yourself a month of long-weekend staycations.
Take one day off each week (I vote for Mondays) for a month. Those are little slices of heaven that will nourish you (and your inbox isn’t as full when you return).
Vacations don’t have to be long or fancy. Even 24 hours can make a difference. There’s something truly wonderful about having a day that’s yours. Just for you. To do what-you-want-if/when-you-want. It will open you in ways you won’t expect. Because you have a moment to breathe. Or dance or run or sing or chant, meditate, snooze, journal, plan.
I stand firm in that happiness is rebellion. It is resistance. And rest is required to be a resisting rebel. You get to have that rejuvenation and feel good about it. Take a break and open yourself to what’s possible.
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Soooo important to take those breaks!
Happiness as rebellion is nice.