Vacation: The Perfect Prescription
By Michelle Stimpson
April 2008

I am on the plane as I write this and can see the beautiful snow-capped mountains of Lake Tahoe off in the distance. My husband, Bill, and I are on our way back to Minneapolis after a 10-day trip to Northern California where we spent time hiking in the Redwoods, driving along the coast, exploring the wine country, connecting with loved family members, and just being. Ten days of fantastic vacationing.

Before boarding the plane home, I checked in with a few family members from my cell phone at the airport and each call eagerly began with, "So, what was the highlight of your trip?" Each time, my mind raced, struggling with a battle inside of what an appropriate response might be…you know, those "should's" we sometimes have. I felt like I should respond with, "Being in the presence of those magnificent ancient Redwoods" (which, they were magnificent!) or "Feeling moved to tears as we saw Mount Shasta making its presence known in the horizon" (which really did move me) or "Driving along the rugged California coast and looking out at the ocean" (yes, what a sight!).


But I knew that if I really were to give the response that came straight from the depth of my heart and soul, it would be even "bigger" than any of those other canned answers. Simply put, my honest answer to our vacation highlight would be…"Disconnecting from the daily routine of life."

Back home, I love my structure. I thrive well on a plan. I tend to enjoy the routine I have created for myself. But oh, what a whole world can open up to you if you allow yourself to "disconnect" from that once in a while! And vacation is a great way to gently force you to detach from the daily rituals of life. In fact, when I do disengage from my routines, what I find that I am actually doing, on a higher level though, is "connecting" with myself.

So on this trip, when I connected with myself, here are just a few of the things that came to me:

•

I was able to hear some messages my body was giving me that clued me in on some health changes I need to make
• I had an incredibly vivid dream affirming me and cheering me on in an exciting new venture I'm ready to pursue
• I noticed that my level of appreciation and reverence for key relationships in my life soared to a whole new level

All this because I slowed down and got back in touch once again with me.

I like to think that I do a pretty good job of all of this in life, even when I am caught up in those earthly, daily routines. And I'm good at having fun and embracing joy. What I learned from this trip, though, is that life can be even better when we take the time to step back and disconnect, in a sense, so that we may fully "re-connect" once again to our wonderful, magical selves.

While I was fortunate to have a full 10 days to experience this, it doesn't have to be that long! When you're planning out your week or month and scheduling in appointments and tasks…be sure to also schedule in some time to disconnect from everything, even if it's only for an hour in-between meetings. And then be open to what you might find there. It is definitely the perfect prescription to recharging your batteries, getting to know yourself better, and ultimately being more equipped to jump back in and live our life.

When will you plan your next "vacation"?

Bill and I are working on our "How to Have a Great Vacation!" book, which stresses the importance about intentional vacation planning…even if that "vacation" is only a Saturday morning. Check it out!


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