Michael and I were supposed to travel up to Vermont this weekend for an incredible Labor Day Food, Wine, & Rejuvenation retreat. There were going to be daily fitness classes. Kayaking. A field trip to the Green Mountain Sugar Shack. Hot tubbing. A fire pit. A folk and blues festival. Food and wine pairings. Lots of other things. OH MY GOD IT WAS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE.
Then, Hurricane Irene happened, and Vermont was hit pretty damn hard. The retreat, understandably, was canceled.
My yoga instructor told me I have to find a fun replacement for those canceled plans.
But here’s the thing.
Most of the time, I’d rather be working than doing anything else.
I don’t do relaxing. I don’t do vacations. I don’t do downtime (though I’ve been getting a little bit better at this). This was honestly the first trip I’ve been excited for since I went to Austria at the age of 20 (and that was 11 years ago, yo). I don’t know that I can make this weekend live up to what it was supposed to be. And that makes me seriously bummed.
So I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to have to live vicariously through you. I know it’s a lot of pressure, but I’m going to have to insist that you step away from the computer this weekend and really live it up. And then tell me about it.
In the meantime, I’m going to a potluck tonight (I made mini quiches with leeks and maple bacon!). I’m going to attend yoga class every damn morning.
And I’m going to think wistfully of the maple wonderland that is VT, and what could have been…
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That photo perfect sums up your conundrum, doesn’t it? All excited for vacay and you wind up at home. 🙁
I’m headed to Seattle for several days, and while vacation is supposed to help me destress with Mr. Muse, I’m finding it extra stressful tying up loose ends, handling last-minute client requests, and so on. Hopefully once we arrive safely, I’ll be able to chill the heck out and enjoy our trip.
So sorry to hear your retreat was cancelled 🙁
2 weeks before the storm, my husband and I went up to Stowe and Burlington Vermont for a week. It was so nice to get away and I honestly didn’t touch work the whole time (well, I answered a few emails, but that was it). When I got back, I was so energized and ready to jump back into life, writing, work that I was doing stuff on Sunday night to get ready. Then Irene hit and left me without power for almost this entire week. It was so difficult to get anything done, I was giving myself migraines and knots in my back from the stress over not working (and throwing away everything in my fridge). I let myself off the hook and gave myself permission to not be as productive as I wanted to be. There were more important things to do in the wake of the storm, so *next* week will be all about jumping back in again like I did post-Vermont.
I’m really sad that you won’t be able to make your trip up there. It was my first time in VT and I just loved it. I hope your retreat gets rescheduled!!
And definitely give yourself a mini-retreat in any way you can. It’s so energizing, especially for us writers who spend huge stretches of time in our houses without ever seeing civilization! 🙂