I went on a mini vacation to Ocean City this weekend. It was quite lovely. I had ocean view, so it was nice to sit outside and hear and view the ocean. It was really peaceful and relaxing. This gave me the space to relax and chill. I had time to be more mindful, do some reading, journaling, some meditating and chatting up and connecting with my friend. It was a really nice time. It gave me time to think, let my thoughts out and reflect. I feel completely refreshed and rejuvenated from this trip. I recommend taking a trip to the beach if you need space to be more mindful and be at peace.
It was really wonderful to see the different colors of the sky throughout the day. I liked the changes. I even enjoyed viewing the grey and cloudy skies on the last day. It helped soothe my soul. I like sunny days and blue skies, but I also welcome cloudy, grey days. I think I learned to appreciate the darker, gloomy side of things, along with the brighter ones. Life is about balance, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the good and the bad times. I appreciate them both. The yin and the yang.
Appreciating the Good times
I had a wonderful time there. It really made me appreciate the wonderful experiences I was able to have there, but I also realized this wouldn’t last, and I would have to go back home. Some dread going back and I thought I would, but by Sunday I was already missing home. I missed my plants. I missed the comfort of home, my bed, my room. I missed my routine. Some can take vacations for weeks. I realized a couple of days works just fine for me. I realized that I like a routine, and you don’t really get much of it on vacation. I enjoyed my time, but I wasn’t sad about leaving. I just come to appreciate great experiences like this. Not many get the chance to do things like this. I was able to have a nice ocean view like I always wanted to. It was a great time, but these great times won’t always last. Real life will come back.
Transitioning back to reality
For some like me, it is easy to transition back. I am happy to be back home. I am happy to see my plants again. Unfortunately some did suffer from my absence, but most did well. I am happy to be back to a routine. I am not too happy to get back to work, but it is part of life and I have come to accept it. There are some exhausting and overwhelming moments, but this job has provided many benefits for me. I don’t like to just focus on the bad, but look at both sides. There are good and bad to all things, even if you choose to just see the good or bad.
You may get caught up in vacation mode and want to stay there forever. Real life may not be as exciting, but there could be small joys you could bring to your life to make it a little more exciting. For me, it is my plants. Vacations are great, but if life is great all the time, how can you be able to appreciate and truly enjoy vacations when they come? Going back to work is the hardest, but it is part of living. Acceptance will set you free. Resistance will cultivate many negative thoughts and emotions, which will leave you in a negative place mentally. Tell yourself “it is what it is” and keep moving forward. You got to move forward, not backwards. It has already happened. Appreciate it and move on. Looking back is perfectly healthy, but yearning to go back can lead to a negative mindset.
I do still feel at peace from my trip. I am still motivated to write and read. This trip has really put me in a mindful place and I appreciate that. Just last night. I put on some beach sounds and did some writing and reading. Of course it wasn’t the same, but it gave me a familiar sensation from my trip. It kind of brought me back to it. It is nice to look back with fond memories of a good time. Life is not a vacation. It is hard work. It is full of struggles and pain. Vacations are there to get away for awhile. To enjoy, relax and experience wonderful moments. It isn’t an everyday life thing. Once you can accept that. Life back to reality will be much smoother.
Some love vacations and don’t want to come back, some love them, but are ready to come back after a couple days, some don’t care for it. I do think vacations are important to recharge oneself. We should enjoy life, while we can. We are all different and have different needs. Do what is best for your mental health. Some need two weeks, some need a couple of days. Just remember that you will eventually have to let go and move on to reality. Nothing you can do to change that, unless you get a job where you can travel a lot.
Most aren’t happy to be back, but I am. I got my comfort of home, my routine, my plants. I appreciate that it gave me material to write a post. It also put me in a place of peace and calm. The trip gave me a new perspective and outlook on things. It allowed me to experience something outside the norm. I feel refreshed and ready to get back to life.
Below are a couple of pictures from my hotel. I truly hope all of you had a chance to enjoy some time away and find some peace for the mind and body.
Psychology of Mindfulness 