This past week I was lucky enough to go away with my family. It was the first time in well over a year that we traveled together as a family. Covid had restricted us from going on vacation and as we were all fully vaccinated, we finally felt comfortable enough to travel. I was so excited! I felt like a kid in a candy store- I just wanted to escape from the daily laundry, the cooking and the planning. I am not complaining, my life is very good- I just wanted a change of scenery.
We picked the mountains as our destination and away we went. We spent 5 days hiking through mountains, finding lakes to swim in, and waterfalls to drink from. We spent some time fly fishing, golfing and more hiking. The scenery was breathtakingly magnificent!
Being on vacation doesn’t mean a total about-face from healthy living. We went to the market when we arrived to stock up on basics including water, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, eggs, energy bars, and peanut butter and whole wheat bread. We also purchased saran wrap and plastic bags to wrap food in. It’s important to plan healthy snacks for our outings so I am always prepared for someone (especially me!) who may get hungry and needs some extra fuel! I used the hotel gym for weights and hiking was my cardio. The altitude humbled me and made the hikes even that much more challenging and like climbing my apartment steps, I huffed and puffed. I wasn’t in a race to be first and so I was always at the end of my family pack. I still made it to the top and boy was I happy to see the parking lot as we returned from the hike!
I am not writing this to make anyone jealous about my time away but to express how much being away rejuvenated my mind, body and soul. Covid took away so much from everyone- health, loved ones, time, jobs, income, education- the list goes on. But there were also some parts of the “year plus stay at home” that came out of Covid. For me, the joy of more family time was truly the plus. Both our kids were going away to school and it allowed an extra year of family time. For that I was, and I am, forever grateful. Life is precious and changes as we have all witnessed, in a moment, and so for me, being with those I love is beyond words.
Even if you can’t physically get away, it is important to find ways to refresh yourself.
As I hiked, I relished the quiet time in my head and took in the beauty of nature that surrounded me. And you actually don’t have to go away to hike. There is a great app (https://www.alltrails.com) that offers hiking trails anywhere you are! For me, hiking out west was challenging and pushed my limits as my hip flexors and calves ached at the end of the day. And by the way, it wasn’t like I climbed Mt Everest. I just went outside of my comfort zone and did activities that were not in my everyday life. As my daughter would tell me, “mom, keep looking forward and keep going because you can”.
I encourage you to keep looking forward because you can. Breathe more evenly and practice patience and gratitude and hug yourself and your friends and family because in this moment, we can.