Have you ever dreaded going on a vacation?
I do it often. 
I make plans for the chance to get away and as the time draws near, I begin to talk myself out of going.  

I had a retreat with a group of friends this past weekend and I made some discoveries and changes that opened a whole new way of being on vacation! My goals were to vacation, to leave my home and business for a short time, and to retreat, to have some time separate from others and just with myself for some time.  

First, I moved a little bit slower, with a lot more awareness as I prepared.  I saw some of the beliefs that I have adopted around travel, such as: 

– the house must be cleaned before you leave

– all the laundry must be washed and dried and put away before you leave

– I must go along with everyone else’s schedule on the trip

– If I am not in charge, then it will not go well (this was hard to admit!)

– none of my clothes are suited for said trip 

– I pack too much stuff

– I need too many little things 

So the invitation I gave myself, was to consider what is possible if I didn’t believe these things?

I learned that others have great desire and skill and ease at planning!  I learned that I can really drop in and enjoy the company of another person when I don’t have distractions of leading, driving, or 101 other tasks I can typically find for myself!

I packed the food that I knew I could eat.  I prep salads with layered greens and fruits and veggies with seeds in mason jars.  I made my own balsamic dressing and took in a repurposed ketchup bottle.  I also prepared a broccoli and carrot salad with my own dressing and took in larger jars.  And finally, as a treat, I roasted pecans and created a praline with buttermilk and baked this mixture in a slow oven until ready to be broken into bite-sized pieces.  

I ate when I was hungry, helped with dishes when I felt good about doing so.  Some meals I ate with others, some I handled on my own.  I had included a couple of things that I knew would make me feel good.  This was really important around me thinking I had to be in control of the planning and decision making!  I didn’t want to be in that position and had created a big dose of misery by thinking those thoughts.  

One of the biggest changes for me was when I was tired, I took time to rest.  So when others were playing board games, I slept for almost 2 hours!  I remember hearing comments as they played while I was dozing on the couch and was so happy to be quiet and still.  I also took time to rest from conversation, by spending time outside alone.  Sometimes I meditated on the front porch, sometimes I went for a small run.  These changes made me much more fun to be around!  I had a bit of humor and I was enjoying myself. 

I see so many people in my coaching practice who believe that they are unhappy because of something someone is doing to them.  In almost every instance, people can feel so much better when they create that feeling for themselves.  It has been quite a journey for me to find this balance.  
 

I believe this trip, this vacation, this retreat, was a personal success for me!  Life rolled on as normal, regardless of cleaning, chores, and laundry.  Someone always steps up and when I feel like it, my energy feels good to others.  I am ready for the next get away!  

Would you like to know more about healthy lifestyle?  Stay tuned for a Meal Prep series coming next month!

Are you interested in having your own retreat, planned with connection, intimacy, meditation, and healthy practices?  Let’s talk!