When the daily grind sets into overdrive, and there’s not a summer escape in sight, or that vacation has already been spent, and you’re longingly wanting it back . . . . .
try a few of these small daily respites to kick start those senses dulled by computers, social media, loud sounds, demanding bosses (or children), and incessant to-do lists.
Unravel yourself with my top 10 list of mini-vacations:
1) Process A tea or coffee ritual, away from your computer, at a quiet table or secret spot. Select a slow method, one with methodical details that permits a little daydreaming as the step-by-step process unfolds in its own rhythm.
2) Forage Even just one edible food item. It can be as simple as an orange overhanging your neighbor’s fence. The satisfaction of sinking your teeth into a self-sourced wild gem is so grounding. I can’t explain it until you just go out and take a walk to find it (above: miner’s lettuce). Try a nearby park. Mine has a huge fig tree reaching over from a neighboring garden with weighted branches of nearly ripe figs.
Silence © Yvonne Cornell, 2012
3) Listen Make a smartphone recording of sounds from your favorite vacation spot, like the sounds of morning birdsong or bay waters lapping underfoot. A bonus challenge: SILENCE.
slower, better
4) Still Life Curate a still life that inspires memories or ideas! Stacked rocks from a recent vacation or grandfather’s collectibles arranged. The simple act of constructing a vignette at home or in your office really shifts time. This old typewriter sits on a side table in my living room, inviting friends and family to add their own musings.
5) Find The antithesis to a collection is one of a kind. Find one of something. You are one of a kind.
6) Outside In Transport the smallest of natural elements from the outdoors in.
(no unhatched eggs were harmed in the making of this post as this egg is a wood mimic.)
7) Vintage Uncover an old family recipe and serve it in an heirloom dish or pot. A cherished vessel enables a romantic escape from this 21st-century life of plastics and polish.
8) Firelight Outdoor candlelight carries a unique glow, like that of the suspended moon. Glamping at its best, right in your own back yard or patio. (Photo: Mark Burhenne)
9) Restore Refurbish a beloved childhood book that once brought you immense pleasure. Making it useful once again is a metaphor for bringing your own self back to its natural and intended purpose. Peng Peng Wang has been restoring and conserving art since 1993, and restored my favorite 1958 Fairy Tale book so that I could share it with my own children.
10) Perspective Sometimes it’s not possible on any given day to separate from civilization, so go up to a roof top for a little perspective.
I love this! So beautifully written and photographed. Most if all, I love the message. Thank you for this Yvonne.
Aw. Thank you, Joanne. Such kind words! 😉