We got back from a week at the beach two nights ago and I'm still putting the house in order. Part of that is simply the way I work -- tackling unpleasant tasks a little at a time, part of it is the fact that July is rapidly coming to a close and I am seizing moments wherever I can, and part of it is that the house never got fully "back together" after the chaos of having our master bedroom repainted (again -- a casualty of the way I work, and the domino effect that comes with rearranging things in a small house). Meanwhile, my daughter is also home and, given the choice of spending time with her and working on the house, I choose the former.
Even before our vacation, I decided that some staycation days were in order. Time was flying by and I was afraid I'd wake up on the first day of school wondering where summer had gone, and desperately needing the respite I didn't quite manage to eke out. I typically shift into school prep mode when I flip the calendar to August but, looking ahead, the days between now and the start of school are quickly filling with tasks, appointments, travel, and other obligations. Many of these events will be fun, but too many crammed into the calendar won't allow me the breather I need before I dive into fall semester.
Enter my magic pencil, crossing out days between now and the end of August, declaring them off-limits to appointments and, quite frankly, anything I don't want to do. These are days during which I'll (theoretically) have the house to myself, days I can amble through at my pace, tackling the "want-to-do" list instead of the "have-to-do" list -- y'know -- a summer attitude. While some of must-do items will likely get accomplished during those days, the sense that I have a choice in the matter makes all the difference in how I feel.
Over vacation, I was reminded that productivity is relaxing for me. I enjoy a sense of accomplishment and it's only when my routine is disrupted that I realize how much I value a certain amount of predictability as well. I don't need to be running and checking things off 24/7 -- quite the opposite, actually -- I just need to finish the day feeling as though I've done something worthwhile. On vacation, that can be something restorative, like sitting on the beach reading a magazine, or it can be something practical, like watching the next video in a class I signed up for, or restoring order to the space we're temporarily calling home.
Staycation days give me the opportunity to float between restorative and practical and having those days on the calendar reminds me that, when things get overwhelming, there's a respite waiting just around the corner. Powering through the must-do list before those days arrive gives me permission to set those tasks aside for a day here or there, should I choose to do so.
The older I get, the more I realize that vacation is a state of mind. We can be in the most beautiful setting but, if we're tethered to our phones and working against what feels right to us, we might as well be in a laundry room somewhere sorting through socks and underwear. With the right frame of mind, we can vacation anywhere by choosing to restore our sense of peace and well-being and engaging in pursuits that make us and our days a little bit brighter.
August may be just around the corner, but my road to the end of summer is peppered with staycation days.
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