If you follow me at all, especially on Instagram or on my blog, then you know that I was out of the country on a vacation to the UK. I left, quite frankly, feeling frantic and stressed out, and came back a totally different person. This trip reminded me why vacations are more important than you think. I know that sounds obvious, but it really is amazing what a good vacay can do for your health.
In America, work tends to be the center of our lives. We believe that you have to work hard and work as many hours as possible in order to be your best. This rang quite true for me as I considered how many hours of work I must have put in prior to my trip.
I scurried about like a crazy person getting every loose end tied up as well as I could. Now don’t get me wrong, it was important that I did that to not leave my co-workers hanging, but it was seriously exhausting.
I arrived at my sister’s home the day before we flew out and literally dropped to the floor the instant I got there, because I was so tired. I had gone until my body forced me to stop. I realized I had never been more in need of a vacation.
I just love people watching in London. Everyone is very go, go, go … where are they going?
Now whether you love the hustle and bustle of a city, huge landscapes that take your breath away, or need to be near the water … everyone’s idea of vacation can be slightly different. For me, I kinda love all 3! All that really matters is that you go somewhere that excites you. It can be a place far, far from home, or maybe a location just a few hours away. It’s whatever floats your boat!
When I arrived stateside this week and started up work again, I felt totally different, and I realized that this vacation changed me. As I reflected on that a bit, here’s what I realized I gained from this trip:
- Recharged my life. Simply put, my batteries were low. I hadn’t stopped in weeks, and getting away and focusing on only me helped me to recharge my batteries, if you will. My creativity, inspiration, and overall happiness started to come back. Wow, was this critical!
- Allowed me to breathe again and nothing else. For once in several months, I had no other responsibility except to breathe and enjoy my life. I could slow down, take in the sites around me, be a bit of a tourist, and that was all that was expected of me. It was amazing!
I love stumbling upon a gorgeous cathedral like St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. It’s times like this where it’s so cool being a tourist!
- Brought me clarity. I remember being on our tour buses in Scotland as we drove through the countryside, and staring out and really just reflecting on life in general. I’d felt a bit like my vision of the future was blurry. Finally I could begin to bring it into focus. Sometimes I just have to get away and think, and this vacation took away the constant distractions I had and allowed me to get introspective and identify what my desires were more than I ever have.
- Had me in a state of awe. Everywhere I looked, whether it was in the city or the countryside, I could find something to marvel over. And to me, being able to find the beauty in the world around you is critical to your happiness. And there was no shortage of incredible sites to be enjoyed … needless to say, I was one happy girl!
How can you not be in awe by the gorgeous village of Inveraray.
- Pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ll go into this a bit more as I talk through my trip in upcoming posts, but to say that I put myself in a couple of situations that were uncomfortable but totally exciting, is an understatement. And what I found was that doing this a) proved that I still have some fearless in me … praise God! and b) they are memories that I am still relishing.
Once I was home, I was calmer, happier, and suddenly my busy life had slowed down a bit. And it’s been incredible! Listen to your gut and remember to slow down and get away. All of these reasons and more, are why vacations are more important than you think.
So what does all of this mean for you? That it’s possible for you too!!
As we all feel ourselves drowning in the hustle and bustle of life and put work above ourselves (and often our loved ones), remember that it’s time to schedule that vacation you’ve been dreaming of. Seriously, go do it! It’s been a game changer for me and I cannot wait to find out what it does for you.
Comment below and let me know where you desire to go. I would love to hear about your next vacation!!
Stay inspired & go schedule that vacay!
~Kelli
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