Keeping the Island Vibe Alive

 

We just returned from a week on a tropical island that was as idyllic as a magazine photo.  The temperatures were perfect, the ocean was clear, warm and glorious, and our time was ours completely. No agendas or alarm clocks.  We had no car so got around on foot, bike, or occasional taxi and kept pretty close to our hotel.  We ate breakfast and lunch together on our patio—simple meals I prepared after our run to a grocery store on the bicycle—and had lovely dinners out.  I didn’t worry about anything; even when our sailboat capsized in the ocean I stayed calm.

Now that I’m back, I’d like to ride this wave as long as I can. I want to be on an inner vacation, so here’s what I’m going to lean into.

Slow down.  Even though I now have certain places I have to be at set times, with a little more planning I can move toward them without rushing.  I spent time on the balcony just looking at the ocean.  I could look at beauty here too.

Do one thing at a time.  I loved preparing meals and cleaning up because that was the only activity I needed to do at the moment.  When I read I didn’t feel as if I should be doing something else.  I want to be that focused more of my day.

Have unscheduled time to let unfold every single day. Part of the wonder of vacation week was just listening to what we felt like doing next.  That’s not really do-able if every minute is previously scheduled.

Listen without interrupting.  I realize that when I interrupt to move things along I’m assuming I don’t have enough time.  I’d like to listen to anyone in front of me as if I have all the time in the world.

Talk to strangers and experience community wherever I am.  On the island, we talked to other guests, to the people who worked at the hotel, to the people we stood next to at the casino and to others on the airplane. I heard wonderful snippets of people’s lives and felt an intimacy I  would like to have with my next door neighbors at home.

 

Minnesota is also beautiful in the summertime, and keeping this relaxed pace alive in me will help me truly appreciate what I have in my life everyday.