A Much Needed Vacation!

My family and I just returned from a great mini-vacation in the mountains of Tennessee. Boy did we need it! Why is it we put off taking off? Accepting our frenzied state of day-to-day rather than planning time for refueling and refreshing? I know it’s difficult enough in today’s tough economy to find money in the budget to do the smaller things like attend the movies or eat dinner out but sometimes you just need to get away!

I’d been telling others how much my family needed time away all while fretting over the cost. I sensed what we needed but I let the thought of the cost throw up caution flags at every possibility. It took a while to find something that worked for us but it was well worth it! It meant having to cook some of our own meals, driving not quite as far as we would have liked to go (we were thinking beach) and not being able to do any of the “fun” attractions once we arrived at our destination (museums and such). Rather than focus on what we couldn’t do, we focused on what we could. We soaked in a beautiful mountain view, we lounged in a hot tub, we ate some surprisingly good grilled Angus beef hot dogs, and we laughed and played together.

We found a way on our limited budget to obtain a much needed break. As a result I feel closer to my husband and daughter and I’m less stressed at work. I’ve carried the momentous days in the mountains into my everyday life. If you’re in that place where you need a break I encourage you to make it happen. It doesn’t have to be expensive, over-the-top or all that well planned –we made our first pot of coffee without a filter because we forgot to bring some! But it does have to happen, at least every once in a while. And when you get back I’d love to hear all about it!