“Laughter is an instant vacation.” ~ Milton Berle
Being on vacation a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C. was deeply rejuvenating and nourishing! I spent time each day writing and time exploring the Capitol. I had forgotten how much I love exploring and having adventures. I am so deeply grateful for the lessons I learned and intend to integrate them into my daily self-nurturing practice.
Here are the five lessons I learned on vacation:
- Have more adventures and explore off the beaten track.
I had the most amazing adventures on this trip. Every day I walked miles through the Capitol exploring the city and our nation’s history. I saw the monuments during the day and at night and explored many museums, botanic gardens, American University and Georgetown University, National Parks and Forests right in the city, a variety of neighborhoods and even practiced yoga on a roof top.
I love walking because you have the opportunity to notice so many things you would miss in a car or bus. When I walk I connect to the awe and wonder around me and feel deeply interconnected. One day I was blessed to find a huge community garden with hundreds of individual gardens flourishing. I found my adventures beautiful, exhilarating and so much fun!
I believe that adding more adventure into my daily life will be very self-nurturing and will encourage open mindedness, new learning and a fresh perspective.
- Do more of what you love every day!
On this vacation I chose to do what I love each and every day and it was so rejuvenating, nurturing and lovely. I practiced yoga, walked, read, explored, spent time in nature, rested and wrote every day.
After experiencing the feeling of being so filled up doing what I love, I intend to consistently include more of these activities into my daily practice and notice how nurtured, energized, and joyful I feel as a result!
- Go with the flow – it makes life much easier and enjoyable!
Traveling by yourself without an agenda or time constraints was a perfect opportunity to allow myself to go with the flow. Opening to the flow truly makes life easier and allows us to connect with the deep peace and harmony within you, that you can then share out into the world.
Adding this perspective into our daily lives opens up the potential of infinite possibilities, improving our ability to nurture ourselves, spread kindness in the world, and decrease our constant efforting.
- Rest and let go of your to do list for a while.
The lesson of needing to rest is not new for me, but recognizing the need to have a day off from my to do list each week was a wonderful lesson learned on this vacation!
As an entrepreneur I find myself enthusiastically working every day of the week and so finding a day each week to liberate myself from my to do list is going to be transformative.
I plan to intentionally take one day off a week and add adventure, rest and doing what I love on that day, which is sure to be very self-nurturing!
- Express your gratitude and new perspective.
Taking a vacation is a wonderful way to gain a fresh perspective and acknowledge all you are grateful for!
Each day on my trip I wrote about the things I was grateful for and identified some new perspective I had gained. It was so nurturing to journal each morning about my experiences and open to what this new day would offer.
I find that being away from home is a wonderful opportunity to recognize what you value about home and connect with a renewed appreciation for where you live and your life when you return.
Finding ways to express my gratitude and embrace a fresh perspective every day is deeply self-nurturing and this lesson reinforced the importance of gratitude in my daily practice!
I feel so blessed to have had such a remarkable experience in Washington, D.C. and returned home feeling so renewed and rejuvenated. I look forward to weaving these lessons learned into my daily self-nurturing practice and continue feeling the benefits of being on vacation.
May you find these five lessons useful and enriching and may you live authentically in truth and beauty through the practice of self-nurturing, nurturing peace in the world from the inside out!
Please share your comments below to encourage and inspire others!
In peace, love and gratitude,
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Counselor, Mentor and Artist
www.cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com
Nurturing peace in the world from the inside out!
Love this – I just took a week of vakay at the beach and had some similar experiences…definitely great to take time out to expand and grow 🙂
Alex I love your comment about taking time to expand and grow! Yes that is such a beautiful effect of nurturing ourselves with time away. Thank you so much for your comment!
Hi Kelley, Loved your lessons! Part of my faith statement is “Life is an adventure to be lived to the fullest!” When we approach life as an adventure it is so rich and fulfilling. Letting go of your “to do” list and feeling comfortable to go without structure is so liberating yet challenging for us high achievers! Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Warm Hugs, Pam
I love your faith statement Pamela! Thank you so much for your comment and wisdom shared. It is indeed liberating to go with the flow and let go of our to do lists, but equally challenging when we connect our worth to how much we do! I intend to embrace life as an adventure and appreciate all the beauty and complexity!