I’ve always had a tough time getting back into the swing of things after a summer vacation. This year was no exception. Maybe it was the gorgeous weather we had. It was a little on the warm side, but that’s the way I like it.
I spent three weeks simply relaxing and doing nothing and it was just great. We spent a lot of time at the beach and in the back yard. I even got in a few rounds of golf. We spent three days camping up north and the weather was absolutely stellar.
Most years we head out to Virginia Beach for the annual two-week vacation. However, this year we decided to see what it would be like to just stay at home and do “day trips.”
It didn’t take long to realize that we didn’t miss the 14-hour drive, the packing, the hotels and having to eat out all the time. We had everything we needed already. We should have planned this years ago. The best part was saving the thousands that we normally spend on the yearly get-a-way.
Vacations are funny things. Well, at least for me they are.
The first week was spent just winding down. In fact, in the first few days I found myself thinking about things at work. Did I take care of all the loose ends? Did I turn off my voice-mail? I think I forgot to tell my replacement about a critical deadline, etc… I just couldn’t wind down.
The second week was just great. I had totally forgotten about things I might have left unfinished at work. In fact, I couldn’t have cared less. I was enjoying myself. Sleeping in and waking up naturally, instead of being jolted into reality by the dreaded alarm clock. Having coffee on the back deck as we listened to the neighborhood come alive. The “worker drones” hitting the road for the long commute into the city.
In the second week, I felt as though I had all the time in the world. By this time I’d officially wound down. Work (and thinking of when I had to start back) was so far away, it didn’t even matter. I felt free, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.
This year we spent a lot of time on the beach. There is nothing better than the smell of the water, sun block and fresh air. Even when it rains, it still beats a day in the office any day.
The weather was so warm this summer that we were able to stay into the evening. We spent a few nights just watching the sun set on the water, and later we would go for a stroll along the boardwalk. Even at 10pm, there were many people still out enjoying the warm summer nights. I was so far removed from the stresses of the rat race, it was as if I were a different person, leading a completely different life.
I realized at that moment that the simple pleasures in life really are free. I didn’t need the big house, the expensive car, or any of the toys. In fact, I didn’t need the suburban lifestyle at all. It was simply an illusion of happiness and contentment. That lifestyle ensured that I would remain a slave to the system until my retirement. But, here I was, totally stripped of everything but my shirt, shorts and sandals, and I felt better than I had ever felt in my life. I could think more clearly and was genuinely happier than I had ever been in my life. I felt free. Free because at that moment I realized that I could be happy and content without anything the rat-race lifestyle could offer me.
The third week was much like the second. We spent a few days at the house, a few at the beach and the rest exploring a few small towns in the area. People seem to be a lot happier in small towns. Many swear that they would never have anything to do with the city life. They have obviously not been influenced by the hyper-consumption life style that afflicts so many of us city dwellers. I envied them.
The third week was good, but it wasn’t the same as the second. Nothing was different on the surface. We still had great weather and we were enjoying our daytime outings, but something was different. There was a nagging feeling… Very insignificant at first, but it seemed to gain momentum as the week drew to a close.
I mean, I knew what it was, but I tried to ignore it as much as possible. It would win eventually, however. It would grab me and snatch me, against my will, from the wonderful lifestyle we had adopted over the last few weeks. It would be like a hard slap in the face, waking me from my newly found contentment. The rat race was calling me. Welcoming me back and ensuring that I would soon know who was boss. It was determined to make me suffer for the last few weeks of enjoyment. It was letting me know that my brief encounter with freedom and true happiness was, but an illusion. It would make me realize that I was still owned and that I would be whipped back into shape very, very soon.
Yes, I was owned by the rat race. I was destined for crowded highways, office politics and the meaningless drudgery of the day-to-day life of a cubicle dweller. Any enjoyment, contentment and original thoughts would soon be a distant memory. I felt *distressed*?