FLORIDA

I learn so much when I'm on vacation. It must be something about being 1,600 miles away from "life" that allows me to see things so clearly. It's almost as if I'm looking at my daily life out my airplane window. You know the view - where all the cars seem like molecules bouncing around and the miles and miles of highway seem like scars on the flesh of the Earth. Suddenly, my stressors that feel so important become irrelevant when I see how they disappear from my window. Everything else that surrounds me in my life is put into place when I'm able to see the big picture that surrounds it. And as we get higher and higher, all the clarity of the detail fades into the endless sky we're surfing through. 

I love vacation. Not because it is an escape from life. If I felt that I needed to escape from life, I would know that I'm doing the wrong work. If I can't find meaning in everything, I don't see purpose. If we find ourselves living each day, working towards vacation, we're missing the point. Vacation is a great reminder that we need to take care of ourselves. It's really hard to do when we become engulfed in all the stresses, pressures, deadlines, and dramas that surround us. But because I'm in a field that preaches taking care of ourselves and making health and wellness a priority, I have found a moral obligation to practice it. And I understand that we cannot go to Florida for a week each month, but we can find ways to take mini-vacations until we have the opportunity to take whatever break we get. 

Running, writing, photography, and my faith all serve as mini-vacations for me. They keep me focused on the bigger picture until I am able to get my dose of perspective from my time on the beach. We can all find or create personal vacations in our daily routines. If we don't, I fear that we will become trapped in the bubbles that protect and separate us, making it nearly impossible to see through them in order to be mindful about how our bubble fits into this world. And when we lose sight of our place, pessimism settles in, becoming a close companion, making the little joys no longer special. Breaks allow us to be reminded of the little joys in our routine that we would otherwise learn to no longer appreciate or notice. 

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Florida, being reminded of the excitement Mickey Mouse can do for a spirit - even to an adult, the peace that the sound of the ocean breathing provides, the joy of daily Florida blood oranges, and how a place 1,600 miles away can feel so much like home. We had such an incredible time. 

I gave Mike a Disney package for Christmas so we spent a night at the Contemporary Resort and a day at Magic Kingdom. Our time at Disney was definitely a highlight for both of us. We ate dinner at California Grill at the top of the Contemporary, rode around on the monorail, toured all the other resorts around Disney, reminisced about our first date on February 10th so many years ago, passed along all the 'hello's and 'hugs' to Mickey and Minnie from everyone, watched the fireworks over Cinderella's castle, ate at ESPN zone for lunch, and danced randomly in the lobby of the Grand Floridian. It was magical. Just as Walt Disney promised. :D

The rest of our trip in Jupiter was fantastic, too. Despite a few chilly mornings (46 is cold for FL, okay!) we enjoyed afternoons on the beach and by the pool, many delicious meals out, two movies (The Vow & Safehouse), our traditional Valentine's taco dinner and ice cream from my favorite place - Palm Beach Ice Cream. 

We returned feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to roll into March.