Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Chapel Falls. (Not pictured, a bold chipmunk who jumped on Frank’s foot.)
You may have heard Henry David Thoreau’s quote
“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”
While I am 100% down with the original, lately, I’ve been riffing on it:
“One must maintain a little bit of vacation, even in the middle of real life.”
Since returning home to Charlottesville after a month traveling in the upper Midwest, I was surprised at how quickly I returned to my “regular life” routines.
Our time away was filled with adventures of the mind, heart and body (and once, the mud puddle). When we weren’t driving, we spent most of our time outside. I had stocked our little camper freezer to the gills with home-cooked food, so most of our meals needed little preparation. We got to see beloved people who we only get to be with in person once a year. We got lots of quiet, alone time, reading and rest.
Now that we are home, work, responsibilities and schedules have resumed. As a self-employed person, I have the privilege of some flexibility but I do have to show up for my classes and my students, put food on the table and, as much as I wish it would, that cat box is not going to scoop itself.
My days have quickly reset themselves into my regular degular schedule. And, I’m endeavoring to incorporate the most nourishing parts of travel into my days, too.
Continu-cation: 5 Things That Nourish My Regular Life
Nature: Trees, Water, Air
Porcupine Mountain Wilderness. Presque Isle River.
Research shows that time in nature is beneficial for body and mind. When we travel in the camper, we are outside almost all the time. And I can absolutely feel it. For me, the three big components of this “outdoor feel-good factor” are trees, water and air.
TREES
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness. Government Peak Trail.
At Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, we hiked through virgin forests with ancient, massive trees. Just being around them settles me down. And even being near trees that aren’t older than George Washington feels like a balm. I’m not a literal tree hugger, but now that I’m home, I hike near the trees when I can. And when I can’t, just placing my hand on a barky trunk shifts and calms something in me.
WATER
Lake Superior & me.
Similarly, there is something deeply restorative about being near – or even better IN – water. While we were away, I swam in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior as well as paddled around in a handful of rivers and my niece’s pool! All did their soothing magic. Now that I’m home, I am making a point to submerge in water when I can, and when I can’t I enjoy a cool shower and a cold glass of water.
AIR
Lake Superior and Air Superior.
Air quality was a concern on this trip. Days before we left, the upper Midwest was choked with smoke from Canadian wildfires. We did run into some smoky territory and it reminded me how essential clean air is to relaxing and recuperating. A breeze off the lake, wind in my hair and deep breaths of cool air were all restorative. Now that I’m home, I’m intentionally breathing to feel the touch clean summer air.
Movement
Bergland, Michigan. With Frank Bergland and me. Even hopping out of the car to take a picture felt great!
Nobody who reads this blog or takes classes with me will be surprised that movement on the daily is my thing. We did our share of long bike rides and hikes but what struck me on this trip was that it doesn’t take a lot of movement to feel good. After a long day of driving, a walk around the campground loop helped quiet the road buzz. So while I did love the 10 miles we hiked along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, now that I’m home, a walk to the mailbox is also really great.
leftovaries
The Amazing Tomato Zucchini Thing (freezes beautifully!). Recipe by Cup of Jo.
During the trip, we ate almost entirely out of the little freezer in our camper. The ease and pleasure of sliding something out to defrost before heading out for a hike or a long drive, simply cannot be overstated. More than once, we said “Thank you, Past Susan!” after dinner. It reminded me that it’s worth making more than we need on the regular and tucking it into the freezer. Future Me is always delighted by a dinner of “leftovaries.” (And this is a simple recipe that I am currently loving!)
Connection
Berglandia. Elk River, Minnesota. July 2023.
Spending time with beloved beloveds who we only see once a year is a deep balm. Especially when the great nieces and nephews put on a Taylor Swift concert on the pool diving board! We also enjoyed connecting with random people in campgrounds and on hiking and biking trails. Having time to connect with each other and with ourselves made a huge impact, too. Now that we’re home, we are intentionally seeking folks to spend time with (including sustaining our connections with our far-flung family) and making a point to have quiet time on our own.
Rest
One of the many books I read and loved.
Part of the reason for a vacation is to rest and recharge our batteries. While we had plenty of exciting, adventurous days while we traveled, we had just as many quiet, relaxed days. The benefit of unplugging – literally and figuratively – reminds me to do the same at home. Even in the middle of the work week, even in the middle of the day. Yesterday, I lay on my office floor and watched a thunderstorm roll through and felt something in me restore.
I know how lucky I am to have the time, resources and health to doodle around the country for several weeks. This kind of time serves to remind me about what matters and what makes life rich. It also reminds me how wonderful home is.
Whether or not you are able to get away this summer, I invite you think about what nourishes your cells, your mind and your heart. How could you weave a few of those things into your regular degular day? No matter what your circumstances, how can you maintain a little bit of vacation in the middle of real life?