Way Back Wednesday: Lessons from the Beach that Bear Repeating

Despite our hope that we would, we didn't make it back to the beach last fall, but re-reading this post from October 2019 reminded me of that trip. Hindsight would prove that much of the work that seemed so important then should have been postponed (because I now know the outcome) and, after six months of working on restoring balance on a day-to-day basis, I'd amend item #1 below. Working past midnight on anything you don't enjoy is just wrong, no matter where you are. As for that alternative workspace? As I type this, a crew is building a sunporch on the back of our house. If the writer can't get to the screened-in porch....

We've had a lovely, long weekend at the beach and have had marvelous weather. For me, it's been a working vacation as I had three deadlines between Saturday and tomorrow, but it hasn't been all work and no play by any means.

Here are a few things I've learned and/or been reminded of.

• It's possible to slow down before I hit the wall -- or before it’s the next day. As a night owl, I get a second wind sometime in the evening and so I typically work until after midnight, something that's just wrong when I'm on vacation. Relaxing feels pretty good. 
• Screened-in porches make great remote offices. Thanks to the change of scenery, I've met my deadlines, in part because my work space is just so inspiring. It feels a little less like work out here.
• My mirror is a liar. Clothes that I thought were perfectly acceptable somehow look terrible in the mirror down here. One pair of pants is most definitely not going back into my closet when I get home and at least one of my shirts needs alterations. 
• Creativity is a fountain unlocked by new settings. I never fail to get inspired at the beach. I have two notebooks that I use only when I am here and I'm excited to crack them open, pick up my pen and see what flows.
• I need to do this more often. Every time we're here, we talk about getting a beach house. Maybe some day. But, in the meantime, I think we need to intentionally make this a more regular occurrence.

And, if I can't get to the beach, I can at least keep these lessons in mind.