Double the Fun

It’s amazing how a weekend away can re-energize, relax and give you some perspective on your life.

This weekend we went up to Edmonton because my Grandpa’s, who is now 92, health is starting to decline and I wanted a chance to visit before he departs. Though I was not close with him, we did spend some time together when I was living with my grandparents in university, and he is my last living grandparent. I also felt it was important for the great grandchildren to visit as well, so that they have some connection, though small, with their great Grandpa.

Regardless of my intentions, by Thursday (the day before we were leaving) I was cursing having to make the trip. With our current dietary restrictions and choices, no sugar, no dairy, and the fact that the kids still needed to be packed for, (can’t a 2 year old pack their own bag?), I had a lot to do and was wondering if it was worth it. I knew once we hit the road Friday morning that I would likely feel different, but in that moment I was ready to cancel the trip.

It turned out to be a wonderful weekend with no glitches whatsoever. Relaxing and easy. My cousin and his wife had offered to put us up. They were wonderful hosts, and it was nice for me, once I got there, to not have to do some of the regular things I do at home. Though I did some minor food prep, there were no dishes to do, no cleaning of the house. John and I could sit down after dinner and hang out (unheard of!). We had great adult conversations and the kids all enjoyed hanging out. Once the kids were in bed, we chatted and watched movies (as my cousin has a large selection to choose from). We even stayed up a little bit later than usual (I know, rebels!) but were still good to go the next day.

It was also nice to connect with family again. Not only to hang out with my cousin but to get to know him as an adult. We also had the opportunity to visit with some of my aunts and uncles as well as Grandpa and it made me realize that I would like to nurture these connections more. Edmonton is only a 3 hour drive from Calgary and I want to go up and visit a little more often. These people are not only my blood relatives, they are also people who have similar interests and values as mine; and it is great to be able to connect with like minded people – which is something that I feel I have been missing.

The trip also provided perspective on my day to day life. It made me realize how much both John, I and the kids needs breaks from the regular routine and need to get out and connect with other people. It made me look at things and notice that I am really doing well. We eat well, we are healthy, we are financially stable, we have dreams and aspirations that we nurture and we have people that care about us and want to be with us. It made me think that things that might not seem so good, can be mended, fixed or changed and it reminded me how important it is to take the breaks to do it.

I am not saying that I would take off every weekend with the family, but feel we should on a more regular basis. It also highlighted how key it is to taking breaks in the regular routine at home – doing more for myself and encouraging other family members to do so as well. Whether it be sitting down and reading, talking or playing a game. Going for a walk, writing, or a hobby that we enjoy. I know from experience that just 10 minutes for yourself can make a huge difference and benefits everyone.

Perspective is a wonderful thing, but often hard to see when you are in any situation. When you in it, you can’t see much – you need to step out. The challenge is once you see it, when you head back in, to maintain it and adopt what you need to do to make changes.

So as a new rule, I am going to ensure that I “step out” each day, so that I can see what is really going on. Detach from the day to day and see the solutions or needed changes easily. Of course weekends away are still highly beneficial, but if you do that every weekend even that will lose it luster after a while.

So if you  haven’t gone anywhere lately, I would recommend you plan to go somewhere soon (like in the next 2 weeks). Don’t make a bunch of excuses about not having enough time, money or its too much work. There are lots of ways to get away with little expense. The little bit of work that it takes you to get ready will make it all worth it in the end.

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