In which I might have a new life philosophy
Recently I ran across a quote: "I live like I'm always on vacation." Now, the woman quoted was being profiled in a fashion magazine so the piece turned to how she dresses, but I admit I am far more interested in how she lives. I started pondering how I would live if I were always on vacation, and the picture is a seductive one.
1. I wouldn't sweat the small stuff. In my day-to-day life, the details are what bog me down. On vacations, I move airily through the slowdowns, the breakdowns, the little annoyances because I am on vacation, and to loose my poise would threaten the entire trip, a trip for which I have spent lots of money and raised lots of hope. Mindful of the cost to both my wallet and my peace of mind, I let the little things go and put on a happy face when I have to deal with glitches.
2. I would be nicer. Because I'm on vacation, I'm conscious of being less stressed, and in turn, I'm nicer to everybody, including myself. I release my perfectionism and go with the flow more.
3. I would read more for pleasure. I never take work on a vacation with me, aside from the tiny flash drive that contains my last four novels. And that's just a safety precaution; I never actually get it near a computer because I stay far, far away from computers when I'm on vacation and I never travel with a laptop. So vacations are my one opportunity to fill my bags with a combination of books I have loved and books I expect to love. (Somehow the Kindle hasn't changed this at all. Because I had the Kindle battery die on me quite unexpectedly once, I always take a stack of books, usually cozy English mysteries.)
4. I would take more chances. When I travel, I often adopt a more devil-may-care attitude about things. I try new foods, I ignore the voice that natters on in the back of my mind trying to keep me safe and sedate. (You know the voice. She sounds like a prim little spinster and harps at you about eating your vegetables and getting your eight and a half hours of sleep every night.)
5. I would take more pictures. Well, alright, I don't actually take pictures on vacation, but my husband does, and therefore vacations are documented. Everyday life should be documented too, slices of reality preserved in aspic. I have gotten better about this since I bought an iphone, but I could improve.
6. I would check my email, Twitter, and Facebook accounts less. On vacation I am completely focused on my family. I do not check my various social media accounts, nor do I attend to email. My family is my priority and my pleasure during vacations.
And I wonder, how would you live differently if you lived your life as if you were always on vacation?
1. I wouldn't sweat the small stuff. In my day-to-day life, the details are what bog me down. On vacations, I move airily through the slowdowns, the breakdowns, the little annoyances because I am on vacation, and to loose my poise would threaten the entire trip, a trip for which I have spent lots of money and raised lots of hope. Mindful of the cost to both my wallet and my peace of mind, I let the little things go and put on a happy face when I have to deal with glitches.
2. I would be nicer. Because I'm on vacation, I'm conscious of being less stressed, and in turn, I'm nicer to everybody, including myself. I release my perfectionism and go with the flow more.
3. I would read more for pleasure. I never take work on a vacation with me, aside from the tiny flash drive that contains my last four novels. And that's just a safety precaution; I never actually get it near a computer because I stay far, far away from computers when I'm on vacation and I never travel with a laptop. So vacations are my one opportunity to fill my bags with a combination of books I have loved and books I expect to love. (Somehow the Kindle hasn't changed this at all. Because I had the Kindle battery die on me quite unexpectedly once, I always take a stack of books, usually cozy English mysteries.)
4. I would take more chances. When I travel, I often adopt a more devil-may-care attitude about things. I try new foods, I ignore the voice that natters on in the back of my mind trying to keep me safe and sedate. (You know the voice. She sounds like a prim little spinster and harps at you about eating your vegetables and getting your eight and a half hours of sleep every night.)
5. I would take more pictures. Well, alright, I don't actually take pictures on vacation, but my husband does, and therefore vacations are documented. Everyday life should be documented too, slices of reality preserved in aspic. I have gotten better about this since I bought an iphone, but I could improve.
6. I would check my email, Twitter, and Facebook accounts less. On vacation I am completely focused on my family. I do not check my various social media accounts, nor do I attend to email. My family is my priority and my pleasure during vacations.
And I wonder, how would you live differently if you lived your life as if you were always on vacation?
Labels: general musing
posted by deanna at
6:22 AM
4 Comments:
I would learn, finally, what my true internal clock is rather than the one I've adapted to ...
I would spend more time outside, "doing nothing" ...
I would explore more, take more chances, speak up more often ...
I would smile and laugh a lot more
Journey
I'd be broke - I like to splurge on vacation :-)
Oh my, what a great way to reduce anxiety in everyday life. I'm not sure I could pull off Vacation Sal all the time, but I'm certain it'd help me relax if I tried it every so often.
Vacation Melissa...hum! The possibilities are endless. I would have time to read for fun and not requirements, paint for fun and not for assignments, write for fun and not simply for a grade, and my ipod would never get a break.
But at some point I'm sure I'd miss the demands of everyday life...then again perhaps not.
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