A break from reality

We all get into a rhythm or a routine with our day to day operations and obligations of life.  I think instead, it should be referred to as a funk.

We have responsibilities surrounding work, family, kids practice, dinner menus, bills, lawn care, laundry, vehicle maintenance, kids homework and occasionally some mysterious “honey-do’s” that find their way into the agenda.  It’s a significant load to carry.  So each of us finds a routine that ensures we’re hitting on all of these areas with the number of hours available to us in the day.  But when do we get a break?  When and how can we break the cycle?  It isn’t always easy, but it should be a HIGH priority on your list of things to control.

This past weekend, I took a Friday off from “the man” and went up to a friend’s cabin in Winter Park for a long weekend.   Along for the trek were my wife and boys,  mom and dad, and brother and his family.  An escape from the hustle and bustle of our daily grind was severely needed.  When we arrived to the cabin that was surrounded by pine trees, big blue skies and a noticeable absence of meetings and rush hour traffic, it was easy to take a deep breath and RELAX.  Quickly, a chair was pulled up on the deck and a Corona popped open.  The kids off to explore and my wife and I soaking in the sun, the cocktails and the calm.

As the family arrived later that afternoon to join us, we filled our time with conversation and laughter.  There wasn’t a TV blaring Spongebob Squarepants or any serial killer neighbors sunbathing atop their trampoline (I know, right?).  There was just family and relaxation.  Our only agenda for the weekend was to not have an agenda.  We would forget about the reality of our normal chaos and just enjoy the time away and cuss those that get to have this lifestyle daily.  Saturday brought a day of golf on a course that greeted us with green grass, challenging holes and the need for sunscreen.  My dad, brother and I had the kind of day you wish you could repeat.  The beer cart was timely and never left us high and dry.  The brat at the turn was splendid.  The missed 6 foot birdie putts didn’t seem to hurt as much.  It was a magical day.

After golf, what to do?  Ahh, such an easy question to answer as the solution was to have yet another Corona or two while enjoying the Colorado scene from the deck of the cabin.  The kids continued to explore nature, looking for dinosaur bones or a bear.  Either would be sweet.  Still no television.  As the afternoon turned to evening, the grill was started up and steaks that obviously came straight from heaven found their way to the grills surface.  The sizzle and smoke poured from the vents and let us know that life was indeed good.  I mean really, picture yourself right this minute sitting outside in 78 degree weather, shorts and flip-flops,  Corona in hand and the grill working its magic over in the corner.  Can’t beat that, can ya?  Sure… I could have added in a masseuse named Natalia that was there in a bikini to rub out all the soreness from golf, but didn’t want to make it too crazy. 

My point is this – we shouldn’t have to wait for the perfect time to take a vacation that is fully planned out and orchestrated.  Sure, those should exist as well…. But I think we should look for many more mini-vacations that are easy to knock out, don’t require much cash or planning, but time away from our funk that rejuvenates us and charges our batteries.  We can’t do it all the time, but I’m guessing we can do it a lot more than we do.  Let’s not allow too much time to pass us by and then realize we didn’t carve out time for ourselves and our family.  Make the  time and make the plans.  If you can’t get a Friday off from work – QUIT!  Get yourself in a position where you can have a better balance of work and life because I’m here to tell ya that the “life” part of that statement is much more fun than the “work” part. 

Find your cabin.  Find your Corona and grill full of steaks.  Make a plan now to enjoy the other side of things because work can wait!!!