It’s Sunday morning and I woke up in my own bed with the remnants of a migraine headache and a stomach churning thinking about all the things I have to do today. I know I am suffering from vacation hangover because my body was so relaxed and now it has gone into overdrive preparing for every day routines. Unpacking, changing over the children’s clothes from summer to winter, getting ready for school, thinking about what comes next for me.
To quiet some of chatter, I started reflecting back on our vacation. I fondly remember how we spent our last full day in Smugglers Notch before heading back to reality, by taking the day slow. The first vacation we have had like that for a long time. A vacation of no demands. Now I understand why families go back to the same places again year after year because it is like going home - a home away from home. A place where there is some reality but more fantasy.
I never understood why people bought a second home somewhere else because I thought it would be boring to go back to the same place. I always thought the adventure was in exploring different places and seeing different people. This vacation has taught me that the adventure sometimes is in exploring ourselves. Listening to stillness. To that inner voice that goes off at the least expected moments because it has been given the opportunity to be heard.
Vacations like those where we allow ourselves to be still, to be quiet, to not be rushing about doing this and doing the other. Where there are no deadlines, no planned itineraries gives our minds, bodies and souls the opportunity to rest, to replenish and to renew. I am so grateful that we did this particularly as I am on the cusp on making major decisions about what I will do with this next stage of my life. My next adventure.
I tried not to think about tomorrow. I tried to quiet the noise that invaded my mind from time to time. And for the most part I was quite successful but when I was not, I let the thoughts pass through my mind without question, without reason so I could feel the full breadth and depth of my emotions and I actually felt free and open to them.
I remember on our last night in Smuggler’s Notch sitting in the bedroom after coming out of a lovely hot tub overlooking the last of the leaves, the darkening mountain and the lovely dusky sky feeling so clean, so and ready to take the next step. I remembered being able to exhale the old and inhale what’s to come.
Before leaving Smuggler’s Notch we had lunch at our new favourite restaurant, The Mix, and we chatted with the owner. Already it felt like a home with people that knew us confirming to me we will go back to the Notch because it’s our home away from home.
As we were leaving light snowflakes began to fall signalling the weather was about to change. It was definitely time for us to leave and come back to reality. Instantly the chatter in my mind began to increase, the tension came back into my body as I got closer and closer to reality. Waking up this morning to reality increased the chatter even more. I asked the Universe for an answer.
As if in answer to my calling, to affirm my message I saw Oprah posted this quote from Deepak Chopra, “In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you.”
And this will be my mantra today as I try to take myself back to the times in my vacation when I was able to find my stillness so I will not forget how. Happy Sunday everyone. Hopefully you will find your stillness today as well.
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