Last Sunday, we set out to go camping for the week. We got everything packed in our truck and camper, loaded up the dog, and took off for one of our favorite campgrounds — only to find out when we got there that we didn’t have a reservation. After some discussion and disappointment, we made the decision to drive back home instead of chancing a different campground.
I admit I had really been looking forward to this particular camping trip; not just because it’s one of my favorite locations, but because I needed a break from how we’ve been living for the past several months. I needed a change. And so this week, rather than just go back to routine, we’ve both been changing things up a bit just for the variety and for the brain break. This has included my weight loss efforts; I’ve become so wound up about reaching my goals that I’ve needed to step away. Our bodies occasionally need a shake up, as well.
Next week, I’ll go back to my routine, but I believe the way I’ve kept my sanity for going on seven years, now, has been realizing that there ARE times when you have to give yourself a bit of a break, to relax, to bring yourself back to why you make the effort in the first place. That’s what vacations are for, at least for me; it’s a step away from the norm to enjoy something you’ve been dreaming of.
If given the choice, I’d sure prefer sitting lakeside and cooking bacon and eggs in the early sunrays of morning. Or, for that matter, a breakfast mimosa on a Mexican resort. Or a stroll down a busy historic avenue in the early evening. All of these experiences were things we had planned for this year, but have had to cancel plans (or have them canceled for us) because, during this pandemic, many of those experiences come with risks that they didn’t previously. Camping is a pretty safe pandemic activity, but despite best efforts, our two most recent camping trips couldn’t happen because of things beyond our control.
When things happen that we don’t expect, we can choose our reactions. Do we let the unexpected derail us, or do we figure out a way to make things work?
In our case, we had already made plans, bought food, planned the week — so we simply relocated to our own backyard. We’ve cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on our own grill instead of a camp grill. We’ve floated around in our little backyard pool instead of the lake. We’ve sat out and enjoyed the sounds of the night and the lightning bugs rising in the grass around us. We’ve done the bacon and egg thing, too. While I miss the chance to be outside in a different place, we do what we have to do.
It would be far too easy, especially now, to let the unexpected steer my course, and start to chip away at my resolve — but I built and nurtured that resolve to withstand the storms, and I won’t fail, now.