I'm still away from my home base in NJ, but I'm still trying to do a little bit every day to help push me forward. This week I was visiting my parental units in my hometown of Flagstaff, AZ. I don't get to come here too often, but I'm very fortunate enough to make a trip out here a few times a year.
I'm also grateful that my parents still have the house that I was raised in as it always makes me feel truly at home. Staying in my childhood room helps me have perspective on how far I've gone, and how far I still have yet to go.
Just about every morning, I've been going out on a little hike just to be sure I'm getting some form of exercise in the wake of being fed everything under the sun. On my hikes, I continue to listen to the audiobooks in my queue. At the moment, I'm listening to "Tools of Titans," by Tim Ferriss, the same guy who wrote "The 4 Hour Work Week."
I just finished a portion of the book about "Vagabonding." Which in case if you didn't know,(I didn't), this is a term that means living like a vagabond for some time. I made a connection to this section of the book to a section in "Show Your Work" about the importance of taking time away from work. I also made the weird connection that in some sort of way, I'm currently doing it! Ferriss writes that vagabonding is important for us to get back in touch with our independence, our resourcefulness, and our appreciation for what the world has to offer. When we step away from what our current day-to-day is, we gain an appreciation for life. Simply put, we start to notice the little things in life that we take for granted because we get wrapped up in our mundane living. True vagabonding should also leave you with a wealth of new experiences and skills that you can and should put on your resume or mention in an interview.
Although my recent time away isn't as extensive as someone who is truly a vagabond-er living on the land, I did notice things from being home with my parents. For one, I truly appreciate and recognize the love that I feel when my parents cook for me. I'm always reminded by my Mom and Dad that they take so much pleasure cooking for me and my brother when we are home. They get just as much enjoyment out of it as I get when eating it. Which btw, is the main reason why I need to keep doing these hikes. 😅
I've also noticed how blue the sky is here! Like no joke, it's a different kind of blue that I didn't notice before. Being that I now live in a highly congested urban area, I'm robbed of what a true blue sky looks like. Not only that, but when I'm home, I get to see just about every star in the sky when the sun goes down. You simply don't get that living in the NYC area.
So perhaps take a small weekend trip somewhere new, or maybe plan an extensive trip. Either way, get yourself away from your desk, your WFH setup, your grocery shopping, your errands, and everything else that clouds your mind of appreciating what we have all around us. Then maybe jot down some notes of how you're feeling or what you've learned about yourself when you return. 💕💕
*BONUS*
Listen to Kacey Musgrave's "Oh, What A World." It fits well into this whole thing. 😉