What I learned on my summer vacation…

We had big plans for our summer vacation, originally, and those were pared down and pared down again. It ended up being a stay-cation of sorts, and I even use this term loosely, because while we did stay, we did much less of the traditional cationing. No matter!

I did learn quite a bit about myself during the past week, however, and any time that I have the chance to sit back, reflect a bit, and learn something about myself, I call that experience a success!

Let me tell you a little bit about what I learned:

1)     I’ve remembered that I must always trust my gut, and don’t let others push you forward when you feel as if you need to slow down. I won’t get into all the details here (mainly because I don’t believe that you care that terribly much), but after sitting down at home with all of the paperwork from purchasing the new car, I found where they hid the “service coverage”.  Oh, I had that feeling in my gut, and I ignored it, and now that I’ve found it, I promise you that it burns. I am coming to terms, however, and I know that this mistake, though it smarts, is small in the grand scheme of things. I’ve so very fortunate in my life—healthy children, wonderful husband, a job that I enjoy—and one little bit of misfortune shall not detract from the overall happiness of my life.

Now, on to more enjoyable things!

2)     I have learned that I can get excited about cleaning out our closets. I know! It’s crazy, isn’t it?

3)     I’ve learned that no matter how much time and attention I have available to dedicate to the laundry, I will never be done with it. Ever. I just need to get over it, or find better hiding places.

4)     I’ve come to more fully respect (and I didn’t even think it possible) my husband, the wonderful meals he cooks for our family, how hard he works, and even the large amount of things he gets done when he’s just puttering around the house (like switching out light bulbs I hadn’t even noticed had burned out)!

Keep in mind, he was puttering around the house because he refused to cave in to my closet-cleaning insanity.

5)     I’ve enjoyed watching my children be children—and for this week, they’ve been children who pitched in when asked, did not fight with one another, or even complain that they were bored.

6)     I’ve had the chance to share dreams, aspirations, and goals with my husband for the first time in a long time. The simple act of putting our heads together, listening to each other’s point of view, and ultimately realizing that we are both on the same page has been affirming.

7)     I’ve memorized the channel for HGTV, and have, for the first time, started watching it consistently.

8)     I’ve also learned how much Girl TV my guys can take before repeatedly changing the channel to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Star Trek whenever I walk out of the room (usually when I remembered that I was trying to do laundry).  

9)     I’ve been back in touch with my fun side; sliding down water slides and floating on lazy rivers at the pool, goofing around on the Fourth, and watching the fireworks with awe.

We also learned, by proxy, that those who combine alcohol, fire, and a rousing midnight game of “guess how short the fuse is” do get their just desserts in the end, if those just desserts involve taking a bottle rocket to the foot. Or small fires. Or truck damage.

And most importantly,

10) I’ve learned just how important it is to take a break, even if that break is filled with tasks and chores that usually don’t get done in the everyday routine. Despite the fact that we worked hard over the last several days, I feel revitalized, and ready to head back to my office, and tackle the next big project. It’s so very important to keep the balance, and while I’m by no means perfect at maintaining balance, I’m trying, and getting better at it every day.