I’m sitting in my kitchen on Easter morning feeling completely refreshed and renewed with a fresh zest for life. It feels timely being Spring and all. My family just returned from a trip in the Adirondack Mountains. It was a bit off season to head into colder climates, still snow on the ground and all. It was one last taste of winter for our family that felt necessary after finishing off another maple syrup season here on the farm. Much needed rest.
And that is exactly what we got. What good honest rest does for the soul…let me tell you. Zack and I have learned that we have some learning to do when it comes to this word at home. We could not feel more aligned with our choices to live a homecentric lifestyle but with it comes a relentless list of things to be done at all times. I know, that is the case for most of us. Too many things to do at all times, not enough time. I want to peel back the chaos to reveal all of the romantic parts of my life. I am slowly growing the muscle of an unhurried life, one with unfinished tasks every given day and for that to be o.k. What takes its place is much more fulfilling.
I find myself falling into the trap of overwhelm and feeling the weight of a routines repetition, the same old demands of me. I thrive on a rhythm until well, it gets stale. It's often toward the end of a season when this cycle plays out and I have to pause, reflect and see what's gotta give. Refresh button. And yes, lucky for us, it was getting away for a few days this time. I get that not everyone can make a vacation available but hear me out. I don’t think it has to be some grandiose place or amount of time to actually find that life giving energy again. Can it be 24 hours to plug back into the voices of your soul that know what are best for you? Can you feel your intuition influencing your next season? Make it happen.
So, yes. I sit here with fresh new eyes coming back to my home. I have inspiration seeping out of my pours for what I want to spend my time doing the next week, few months, this year. It is honestly one of my favorite things to do with Zack after we have found some space from our regular routine. Manifest. And then, I need to slowly reel myself back in to allow it to be a natural unfolding process. To be preset along the way. What a beautiful thing.
I scribble these thoughts from my head onto paper and try to display them out for you to scoop them up and ponder a while because I know we all face times in life when we stall out, or even freeze up from the overwhelm. I also know we are here to do hard things. And making a priority to rest is one of those hard things, the most rewarding things and the most essential way of being.
This life giving weekend was far from easy to make happen. The money we had to save, the time it took to wait for it (seeing as leaving in February would be much more ideal but “maple syrup season”), making sure the farm animals are all taken care of, planning out the trip, packing the bags (with children is no easy task) and driving there (long car rides are a toss up)!
Every Mama knows that walking out the doors with littles is far from easy, exhausting even at times. But do it. Go outside. Plan your week accordingly so you can take that day off you want and need. Turn off your phone. Let go of expectations. It may be so far from perfect. It could be really messy (including throwing up in your car) but go do that thing that calls to you. I promise it will be worth it.
Our weekend of rest looked like an Airbnb yurt stay with mountain views and even a hot tub. We went out for a hike each day and returned back to the house to cook every meal and enjoy eachother's company. And it really was that simple for a couple of days even if everything around making it all happen felt like mayhem. I’m making note how essential it is for Zack and I, for our kids, the whole family to step away and rekindle the zest for life that is always patiently waiting for us to come back to. I think my favorite part is seeing the excitement through the littles eyes. I know we are leading by example in what it is to travel, to be together, to find joy in even the simple things and to go do those hard things your heart desires, like go climb a mountain.
