Sometimes I feel like there is a hamster living in my head who won’t get off of the damn wheel. He just keeps running and running and things won’t turn off. I lie in bed and and can’t shut down. I need to shut down. So I come up with workarounds.
In the evenings while I watch TV I’ll cut fabric for a quilt I’m working on. Or I’ll color in one of my multitude of coloring books (thanks to some birthday scores). The combination of keeping my head distracted and my hands busy, of using all of my senses at once so that I don’t have time to let my mind wander, that seems to work.
Last week I went on vacation with eleven other people. We went to an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic and I had few goals for the trip: have fun, make new friends and strengthen existing friendships and, most importantly, check out. I think I accomplished all three. And thank goodness! On a beach trip back in May I read a lot and got some sun but couldn’t get my head out of work and that sucks. For this trip, I worked uncomfortably fast in the weeks prior so I could go out of town feeling like I was all caught up at my job. Downside, my wrist was hurting for the week from rapid mousing and typing. Upside, I didn’t think about work. At all. Hallelujah!
During our one week getaway, I read only four books, about half as many as I read on a standard beach trip. Despite unlimited food and alcohol, I never felt too stuffed and imbibed less than expected. But I experienced my first foam party, attended vow renewals that had me tearing up because they were so sweet and got to go on a snorkeling cruise / party boat and swim in some of the bluest water I’ve ever seen. I spent dinners laughing at ridiculous stories, stared at the clear oceans waters and enjoyed the luxury that is a midday nap.
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