Get Away

I’m on vacation sitting in the same condo we’ve vacationed in every year except one of our 14 years of marriage. I love vacation. Non-stop family time. As little thinking as possible. Getting away. It’s interesting to me how people vacation. However you do vacation, I find that people feel strongly about the way they do vacation. I already know some of you can’t believe I’m posting while on vacation. To you, that is a vacation violation.

How do you do vacation? Beach. Mountains. No work. Some work. Reading books. Watching movies. Playing games. Sleeping in. Early walks. Alone time. Family time. Eating out. Cooking together.

Vacation looks different for all of us. That’s cool. However you do it, do it. Rest. Play. Get away.

My getting away usually involves getting away from work. Mentally and physically getting away from work benefits every part of me. It benefits my marriage, my parenting, my mental health, and even my work. But I’ve learned just getting away for one week every year is no where close to being enough. I have to intentionally get away as often as possible…daily if possible.

Those of you who know me well may be rolling your eyes. I don’t always follow my own advice when it comes to getting away. I love my work, and I love to be working. But I also love my family and know I need to protect them and me from my love of work. So, I have to be intentional about getting away. I give my team permission to remind me it’s time to leave the office and to ask me when I’m taking time off. I need the accountability. We put our kids to bed early so my wife and I can hang out almost every night. And my wife and I do Boot Camp together twice a week…there’s no way to work when you’re close to humiliation or death two times per week.

But this week I’m at the beach. So, time to go read some books, then a swim with the family, and maybe a trip to get some Hot and Nows at Krispy Kreme after dinner.