Vacation Reflections

 

Hi Friends,
 
I am getting back in the swing of things here after a wonderful time of vacation.  There is often a swift re-entry period upon returning to the build- up of work while you were away, but our wonderful staff really kept everything moving so I am really thankful to all of them.

Nonetheless, I find myself behind here this week, so in lieu of a lesson overview, I am sharing a bit of my vacation experience.  It was a unique vacation that afforded me time for connection and reflection.

The biggest takeaway for me was the reminder to slow down and be present in order to be able to savor life and the people I experience along the way. I had not quite realized how busy my mind had become—always on to the next thing to do – and not all that present to what was happening in the moment.  When I break out of my familiar routines, there is a natural slowing down in order to attune to the new surroundings.  It doesn’t always happen right away though. Navigating travel can be quite a busy experience. And when you are used to going full speed, it can be hard to really slow down and override that nagging push to do more. I remembered that it is just as important to just be more.

Unlike most of our recent vacations, this one was less about the destination and more about the people we were visiting along the way. It became a trip to see the people who usually come to Colorado to see us. In that process, we saw some of the sights in their hometowns.

We landed in Washington DC, spending three nights with relatives and seeing some of the sights. Suffice it to say that we also had our first E-Bike experience in order to avoid the long return walk back on the National Mall! On the second day our thirteen year old  lobbied for a visit to  the Baltimore National Aquarium, instead of more museums. That was AMAZING  if you have the chance, I highly recommend it.

From there we drove eight hours to Cape Cod to meet up with a dear friend and meet some of her family and friends. Having time near the water always fills me up and slows me down.The vastness and serenity of the ocean reconnects me with the majesty of our planet.
What a gift we have in the natural world.

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From there we headed out to visit another friend in Ft. Wayne Indiana with an overnight stop in upstate New York – where we experienced the smoky air from the wildfires in Canada.

We spent a fast but fun night in Ft. Wane falling in love with our friend MC's dogs and new boyfriend as well as touring an amazing garden in her neighborhood.

We ended in Cambridge, Wisconsin just outside of Madison to visit friends who have come to Colorado for the past 10 summers! They had just opened a new “Art Hub” business and could not travel this summer so we went to them! We had the chance to try out the pottery wheel and experience all of the great art work.  Cambridge is a tiny ‘artsy’ town and everyone we encountered was beyond friendly and seemed to be deeply content and happy. 

I also experienced a deep sense of gratitude for having the time and the means to take this vacation.
It really is a privilege that not everyone has, so I am mindful of my good fortune and the support I have in my life. The whole trip turned out to be so much more than I expected. In addition to getting some much needed down time, and seeing more of our beautiful country, I reconnected with the magic of connection and community.

When I tune in, I see the kindness and generosity in others so clearly. People are so interesting and everyone has a story to tell. It was a good reminder to be present for more of those stories and to be brave about sharing more of my story. So there you have it- a bit of my vacation story. 
I hope that you all take some sort of a vacation this summer and are able to deeply connect with the faces and places that you visit along the way!

Our Sunday lesson will be on our Power of Imagination. Imagination is our ability to conceptualize, visualize and embody ideas. In honor of Father’s Day, we will also be blessing our Fathers and the Father figures in our lives. I look forward to seeing you there!