Step away from your life.......

For the past several weeks I have been anticipating a get-away to a little cabin up in the Catskill Mountains.  This is a much needed retreat with my guy and another couple.  Out of all the friends we could have chosen to bring up there with us, we decided to bring along my boyfriend's sister and her husband.  They are happily married, very low-key and quiet.  Most likely, they will disappear all day and we will not see them until dinner or as we gather around the fire late at night.

Life gets hectic and crazy.  We have jobs, families, chores, and responsibilities. Sometimes I feel like I am literally drowning.  I know I need to completely un-plug so I plan to escape to a little place in the woods this weekend. There will be no TV, no internet, and no cell phone service.  This means we cannot be bothered by anyone and won't be tempted  to attach ourselves to anything that will occupy our time or our minds.  Bring on the peace, quiet and the joy of just being together with no agenda.  I am so ready!

I am well aware that I can do this at home and save my money and the aggravation of a long trip through city traffic.  It's not always that easy, however.  I am pulled in a hundred different directions right now.  I have alot going on in my personal life, a job, a home, a family, and weekly writing assignments for which I get paid and can't just put off whenever I feel like it.   I am also trying to build my own consulting business and have just started writing a novel.  There doesn't seem to be enough time in a day to get it all done.  No matter how hard I try to step away from it and just chill, it never happens.  There is always something that needs to get done. I find myself hovering over my laptop in the wee hours of the morning to meet deadlines, doing laundry late at night, dragging my guy grocery shopping on Sundays because I didn't have time during the week, or racing for train in the morning because there was one last minute chore I needed to get done.  The constant running from this place to that  place just wears me out.  I am a TYPE-A personality, for sure, and the only thing that really works for me is to completely step out of my life for awhile and go someplace else.  This was not always the case for me.  A weekend getaway was always another opportunity to party harder than usual and to cram every activity imagineable into a few short days.  When I arrived back home I would need a vacation after my vacation.  That is all well and fine some of the time, but it can't be the case all of the time. We need to relax and if we really can't do it at home, then we need go someplace where we can.

This weekend, completely separated from all things technological, the hustle and bustle of crowds, traffic, and continuous invitations to go, see, and do, I plan to do absolutely NOTHING.  I will sleep, cook feasts (this is relaxing for me), sit in front of the fire and read my book, hike through the woods and admire the fall foliage, and spend much needed alone time with my man. I also plan to slip away by myself and re-evaluate everything I currently have on my plate.  I need to see if there are things I can shuffle around a bit, delegate to someone else, or completely eliminate.  I can't do it all and trying to do it all will just make me ill.  I know I need to manage my time wisely.  I need more structure, better organizational skills, and discipline.  I can't let my household chores go because I have writing to do and I can't neglect my writing because I am overwhelmed with household chores.  Life is a balancing act and while I am usually pretty well-balanced,  my body, mind and spirit are telling me differently lately.  How? Simple signs--I am tired, require more sleep than usual, I am impatient, short-tempered and moody.  These traits are not normal for me so I know it's time to step away for awhile.

You might not be able to escape to a secluded cabin in the woods, but are there some ways you can just step away from your life for a few days, an evening, or even an hour? Do not neglect or forsake your need to "step away from your life for awhile".  Think about ways you can do this and then just DO it! Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.

And this is my Daily Cyn.........