Renewal

Some time ago, I shared my recipe for an exceptional day. Now, just back from a week-long trip to New England, it seems I’ve hit on the recipe for a perfect vacation. This particular combination may not work for exploratory trips to new locales, but it was a definite winner for a new twist on an old stomping ground.

The Main Ingredients

Novelty. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better, faster way to fill the well than to travel. Even in a region you’ve visited previously, or where you once lived, opportunities abound. For me, this included staying in and exploring a new city in New Hampshire, experiencing the Old-World splendor of the Harvard Club and a new-to-me French restaurant in Boston, and visiting a quaint village on Cape Cod for the first time.

Old favorites. There can be such comfort in revisiting familiar haunts. The creamery I have to visit at least once, the funky bar in Woods Hole, the restaurant that’s been around forever. There’s also a powerful combination of nostalgia and novelty that makes revisiting changed places a delight. Tromping through Boston’s Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the Public Gardens for the first time in at least twenty-five years felt like déjà vu and discovery all at once and made for an amazing day.

Loved ones. While my determination to make the most of my remaining years might mean I occasionally travel solo, for me it is so meaningful to share these experiences with people I love. This time I was fortunate enough to spend time with several people I’ve known for over forty years; people who anticipated my visit with delight and showed me such care and hospitality. Catching up, relaxing together, and sharing plans and dreams were all nourishment for the soul.

Nature. For me, there’s nothing like nature to cue relaxation. This trip, I was fortunate to get a walloping dose: lunch by a river, the Public Gardens in bloom, a three-mile hike through a nature preserve, the marsh just beyond the back door, an afternoon spent on an ocean beach.

Add a Pinch of the Following

Surrender. This is probably a no-brainer for some people, but it’s newer to me. This time I did a great job of leaving everything behind: problems to be solved, worries about those I was leaving behind, fears that temporarily abandoning the routines that have saved me will send me down a slippery slope. Additionally, lowering expectations (especially about the weather) and relinquishing control to my hosts made everything seem like a huge treat.

Perspective. Distance usually grants perspective, and all this surrender cleared space for less mundane concerns. Also, because filling the well always provides for a boost in perception and creativity, I came home with several new ideas for writing projects and for creative life hacks.

Celebration. This trip was, in large part, my way of honoring my completion of a solid first draft of my forthcoming book, which lent an air of festivity throughout. While some trips simply satisfy an urge to see a place, combining that with the celebration of one of life’s milestones or a hard-won accomplishment can turbocharge both enjoyment and meaning.

Indulgence. Even minus a celebration, I’ve resolved to fully embrace temporarily “vacating” my life while traveling. Which means sleeping past five am, having ice cream for lunch, or having that cocktail while watching the sun set. Living wholly in and for the moment.

I’ve only been home for a little over twenty-four hours as I write this, but re-entry seems a bit more difficult this time. It could be a return to the blistering heat, or the long to-do list that awaits me, or the fact that I’m in the home stretch of the book, which feels slightly disorienting after several years of such concentrated effort. All part of the ebb and flow, and my rested body and mind and cache of fabulous memories will carry me through.

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Thanks for reading.

Too many GOOD THINGS to list, so that will resume next week.