Staycation Realization and Lessons Learned

Warning:  While I generally try to make my blog uplifting and have it hopefully be a guide and inspiration to me and my readers to continue to see things from a simpler, more relaxed and understanding perspective, I must warn you that this is wordy blog that you may not see as a particularly uplifting, especially at first.  But, I encourage you to read on and I hope it still serves a purpose to you, as it did to me in writing it, that sometimes the choices you make lead to lessons learned rather than relaxing and inspirational confirmation of the “good life”.  The main thing is to recognize it as such, and go forward with and use this additional knowledge in the future.

As my vacation time winds down, I look back on the week to see how I fared on this staycation.

On the positive side –

Did I have fun?  Sometimes.

Did I think about work?  Only when I got texts with questions from people at work.

Did I see some nice scenery?  Yes, we were able to go to the Ozarks in Arkansas for a couple of days and the Fall color had come to the higher elevations of the Ozarks.

Did I get some good pictures?  Yep – mountains and lakes and rusty old cars and old barns.

On the not so positive side –

Did I feel good physically?  Nope, sinus infection still with me – antibiotics stopped helping after the third day – need to go back to the doc.  Tendonitis prevented me from doing any walking in Eureka Springs or War Eagle.  And the worst, though expected, the antibiotics have made my Crohns flare up. 

Did I get some good quilting, other projects done?  NONE at all – felt too bad most of the time to be “creative” or even just sit there and stitch.  AND the awful, evil SHOULDS started – I should be doing this, I should be doing that, etc.  I have been doing better about those SHOULDS, but I chalk it up to feeling so bad and being down about not going to Utah.

Did Keven and I get to make some of those “life plans” we usually do on a good vacation?  Nope, I felt too bad and down, he felt bad about me feeling bad and was his usual non-talkative self.  And I think not having a true staycation backup plan ahead of time of what we wanted to do made it hard for the two of us to compromise at the last minute (that is my opinion, don’t know if Keven agrees).

Results:

1. Do not feel refreshed mentally or spiritually.  In hindsight, I think we should have gone to Utah even if I couldn’t hike – we could have picked various places to just sit and absorb the wonder and awe and spirit of the place.  To talk to each other or sit in silence with no one around but nature and God.  (though I don't know if Keven could have sat still that much)
2. Do not feel refreshed physically.  I think the (I hate to say this) “stress” of the sinus infection on top of the tendonitis on top of the disappointment about not going to Utah on top of all our typical “home issues” that we didn’t get away from did not allow me to heal (in fact, now the antibiotics have flared up my Crohns).  I may have had a tough time in the car on a longer trip, but I don’t see how being out in the middle of the dry, clean air desert of Utah would NOT have helped me heal.  I am not knocking Arkansas – it more beautiful than I expected actually, but the places we went had too many people and we didn’t stay long enough in the mountains for nature to work its healing power on me.  (we will definitely be going back to camp and hike there though)
3. Keven and I didn’t get anywhere on our “life plans” – it is amazing how getting away to someplace so strikingly beautiful and raw as Utah can help you easily assess and decide about what is really important.  I feel we will have to work on this harder back here at home, fitting it in to our normal routine.

So why didn’t we go to Utah?  I guess we were worried it would be a “wasted” vacation if we couldn’t hike.  Lesson learned – GO ANYWAY!!!  Next time, I hope I remember to come back to this blog to read it and let it influence my (our) decision when we are put in a similar circumstance.

Do I feel this was a wasted vacation?  No, I don’t.  It was still a blessing – we saw the Ozarks beginning to show their Fall colors (pictures to come in a near future blog), I did get a little reading done (OK, more than a little), Keven worked some in his workshop, Keven said he “wasn’t at work”, and I did spend some time thinking about my future goals and plans (more to come in a near future blog). 

Porch of a house in Eureka Springs, AR

Plus, I still have a day and a half left on vacation – who knows what will happen???!!!!

God works in mysterious ways – be open to Him so you don’t miss something!!!

Kat