Sometimes, you don't realize that you've been busy for a long time. You're rushing around doing one thing after the other and making steady progress on several projects. You're so busy doing stuff that you don't realize that you're busy doing stuff. The only way to realize it is to recognize the primary symptom: considering doing something else makes you groan inwardly.
The week after the wedding, we took what I call our "domestic honeymoon" meaning that we took the week off and stayed at home. Next week, we'll be taking another week off for our "exotic honeymoon" in Punta Canna. While we'll be going to Punta Canna, what we're really doing is going to one of those all-inclusive resorts. In other words, we're going to a really nice beach-front hotel with a pool.
They won't have Internet access in the room (there is a business center that charges you for access), and our cell phones won't work unless we purchase international minutes or something crazy like that. So for the first week of October, I will be truly able to leave everything behind and just relax. I don't want to get online, I don't want to talk to anyone that is not near me. I just realized that this will be the first time that I will be going to a foreign beach as a civilian. Plus, this beach will have water on it!
While I can't speak for the rest of the human race, I can't remain idle for long periods of time. I always have to be doing something. The downside to this is that I end up doing so many things for long periods of time and I get worn down (often without realizing it). When that happens, contemplating future busy-ness fills me with a sense of dread and desire to avoid it.
For example, one of Robin's relatives is gifting us use of their time-share next June or July or some such. It's one of those Islands everyone goes to (St. Martin perhaps) and all we would have to worry about is travel and food. Unlike the vacation next week, the vacation to St. Martin is one of those busy vacations. You have to rent a car, deal with crazy traffic, run everywhere, shop for food -- it's basically like moving to a new house in an area you're not familiar with. In my current state, any time I think about that, I'm like "Why oh why oh did I ever agree to that kind of vacation?". You know the type -- the kind that you get home and want to take a vacation to rest up from your vacation.
[caption id="attachment_615" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Vacation Stress Levels"]
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Normally, I'm fine with all of that activity. You can drop me in most any city or town and I will calmly get to work walking around and getting the lay of the immediate area. Before long, I'll have food and ideas of cool places to check out. These 'active vacations' are good for really experiencing a new place (instead of say.. lounging by a pool for a week). So while my body is currently recoiling in horror at the thought of more activity, the truth is that I just need a break in the here and now.
So taking a week away from everything to do nothing is a fairly good time frame. It gives me a chance to unwind, and by the time the week is done, I am hopefully refreshed and antsy to do something productive again.
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