I had this quote posted on the bathroom wall when I lived in my condo. It’s nice to think of a bath and refreshing yourself in this context. But you need to do it for your life as well…not just your body. We all need a break now and then. That is what vacations are for. A chance to get away and experience new things. A chance to relax and just be. A time to unplug and do whatever you feel like with absolutely no schedule.
We are heading to the Outer Banks on Monday. My brother and sister in law get a house there almost every year and graciously invite us to come along. Bonus this year, my sister is also visiting and it will be her first time there. She is in for a treat. I already live in a beach area. But it’s so nice to see other beachy places. OBX is great because it is a completely different experience from the Jersey Shore. You can take your dogs on the beach with you. You can drive on the beach. You can indulge in an adult beverage while on the beach. The house we stay at is right on the beach and I love falling asleep with the slider door open a bit to hear those waves crashing. It’s my favorite way to fall asleep.
We always bring a ton of food and eat like we are marathon eaters. We bring games and cards and spend a lot of time making fun of each other. We come up with catchphrases that will become a part of our normal vernacular during game time. It’s where we came up with “How now, brown cow” stemming from trivial pursuit. We came up with “Pecan Pie” during a rummy game one time. I’m not sure how. We also often refer to whether we are in a “quandary” or “quagmire” when it comes to having to discard something during a game of rummy. A quagmire is much more severe than a quandary…btw.
I will wake up early every morning and see the sun rise from the deck of our house or even the living room if it’s a little chilly. There will be long, leisurely breakfasts and moving outside to (hopefully) soak up some sun. The beach is just steps from the house. They have a pool, hot tub, garden size tubs with jets (I have been saving a bath bomb for this trip) and even a pool table. There will be plenty to do but the great thing is we don’t have to do anything at all. They have a hammock that my husband has been talking about for months now so I hope it is still there.
We will make time to go out to eat and enjoy some of the local flavor. There is usually some shopping involved as well. We stay up late and (I, at least) get up early. We will see who the rummy champion will be this year. It’s usually a toss up between my husband and my sister in law but my sister is in the mix this year so we’ll see what kind of skills she has. We typically just start a game and keep playing until a time we pick on the last night. My sister in law has come back from being more than 600 points behind to win the whole thing. She doesn’t drink that much and encourages us to drink more and more. Hmm….is she insinuating that our skill level goes down the more we imbibe???
We have incredible home-made meals. We are hoping to get the new smoker in the car so my husband can make some of his incredible brisket, pork and chicken thighs. Mac N’ cheese is on the menu. Snacks abound and there will be plenty to drink. It’s one of those weeks that you hope lasts forever and enjoy every moment. I’m going to try to be more present this year and really savor every moment of every day.
It’s also a family reunion for my siblings and I since we are all spread out through the country. I’m excited for my sister to experience OBX for the first time. Everyone I know that goes there for the first time falls in love. Maybe this will encourage her to make a trip to the area more often.
Meanwhile, it is time to relax, refresh, renew and recharge. Unplug (a little, I still got work to do) and have no schedule whatsoever. As I mentioned, there will still be a podcast (shortened version of blog post only) every day as usual. But just know…that I am really gearing up for the next phase or this business. It comes just in the nick of time. I will be laser focused for my conference with Rachel Hollis next month.
If you don’t have a vacation planned…get on it. Even if it’s a quick getaway or a just to visit some friends and family that will envelope you with their love. It’s so important.
We made it to cocktail Friday! Get ready to grab a cold one. Have a fantastic weekend and make sure to be safe. And please make it your best day yet.
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