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What a difference a week makes!  I took a friend up on an invitation to get out of town for a few days at the beginning of this week, and it was a breath of fresh air.  Literally.  We were at her home in the mountains (a relief from the current heat and humidity in Atlanta) perfectly nestled near a lake with countless streams and trails – gorgeous surroundings.  And my friend is a perfect combination of multiple “friend categories” that I referred to in my post a few weeks ago – she’s an old, close friend who’s the one you may not see for a while, but you pick up right where you left off when you finally get together.  I’ve taken plenty of girls’ trips before, and know how wonderful they can be, but this one came at the right time and I am forever grateful.  We caught up on the porch over coffee in the mornings (and wine in the evenings), went for walks in the woods, sat by the lake, all while laughing, crying a little, but most importantly listening to, and encouraging each other.  I had actually inspired her to quit her full-time job that she’s had forever as well, so now we are both exploring our creative sides.   We had a great time reconnecting, and with the stress I’ve been feeling lately, it’s just what I needed – a breath of fresh air.

My (and perhaps your) takeaway from this mini-vacation is that getaways are good.  Good for the mind, body, and soul.   Even if you can’t get out of town, find a place in nature that gives you a sense of peace, and carve time out of your schedule to go  – ideally with a close friend – and tune out life’s stresses and distractions for a while.  Use all of your senses while you’re in your surroundings (a very effective technique my therapist taught me).  Listen and encourage.  Laugh and even cry if needed.  Just be present.  Life and all its problems will still be there when you get back, but you’ll feel re-energized enough to face them.  I think I’m going to make this a regular practice, so my friends better be ready for a walk in the park with me!  I may need to wait until it cools down a bit if I’m going to find anyone willing to go, so in the meantime maybe I’ll invite myself back to the mountains…