A Weekend Away is Much Different Than It Used to Be

I went away a couple weekends ago to a small village close to Kalamata with a few friends.  As I keep growing up, my needs change. I used to want to get away for a weekend and stay up or out all night with friends, sleep late, go for food, and lounge around. Don’t get me wrong, that was awesome. But now, my idea of a weekend away is much different than it used to be.

I’d rather ENJOY food than just “go for food.”

The great thing about Greece, in comparison to Chicago, since that was what I knew for so long, is that you can drive an hour, then another hour, then a half hour and find many different intricate delicacies of that particular area. (even in the same region!) Now, I order food to notice subtle flavors and differences, textures, and temperatures and how they all swirl around in my mouth and explode with zest! For a short while, food becomes the topic of our conversations loaded with observations, questions, amazement, and guesses about its preparation. Such a refreshing dialogue, full of creativity and inspiration, about how we can make it at home and what we would do to change it a bit and make it our own.  It inevitably leads to a conversation and a google search about the history of some sort of vegetable, spice, region, or country, which advances the conversation to a higher level of seeking out knowledge.  It’s nice to take the time and talk about the present moment and the sensations we all feel together, rather than what is happening in the life of someone none of us know. You know what I mean?

I’d rather get up early than go to bed late.

There is something magical about waking up before most people wake up, especially in a Greek village.  There is a loaded silence that with the songs of birds, a brush of wind against the trees, and an occasional pair of footsteps walking to the bakery, makes it calmer and more peaceful than the experience of actual silence. I guess it’s called being present.  No thoughts about the future, no thoughts about the past, just pure senses taking over your here and now.  It’s such a personal moment. I also love when you can share this personal moment with someone, without saying a word, knowing that they are in the same head space as you are at the exact same time.  For me, waking up early on these mornings, having slept well, and feeling refreshed, is one of the greatest moments of inspiration.  It makes me even more grateful for having all of my senses and being able to experience it, where in some cases, others cannot. 

I’d rather go for an early morning hike or walk than sleep in.

Sleeping in is so overrated! Along with the magical silence of an early morning comes the whimsical energy of physical activity! Getting up and stretching or doing a little yoga before a long walk is incredible for your spine after a long night of stillness.  It wakes up your lower chakras and sends energy all the way up and out the crown of your head, waking up the rest of the chakras in between.  It’s as if a colorful rainbow came through the center of the Earth, into your feet, up your entire body, and exploded out of the top of your head giving light to the world for the day! Do I even have to mention the beautiful view of a hike?

I don’t need to be engulfed in constant conversations when I’m with friends. We can just simply sit quietly and enjoy the moments.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to talk! Sometimes, though, it’s wonderful to be able to sit in silence with someone and not have to worry about saying a word.  Maybe we just discussed something and now we can just sit and reflect. Maybe we don’t have much more to talk about at that moment and we can sit and just be present at the world around us.  I love coming back to the house after a day of hiking, exploring, and eating and sitting by the fireplace with a few friends while reading a book.  Just the energy of love surrounding us is enough to make us all decompress and feel safe in each others presence.

Finally, I’d rather everyone do whatever they like, whenever they like, than feel like they have to do something else.

I’m not saying it doesn’t happen when you are younger, but I really enjoy having a choice to engage in an activity.  If I don’t want to, no problem, I’ll go do something else on my own. And if you don’t want to, it’s cool, we can catch up in a couple of hours! A weekend away should be just that: a weekend away from the responsibilities, appointments, and must-do’s of the week. I’m not afraid to explore unknown territory alone. In fact, it’s invigorating! I definitely don’t want anyone else to feel the pressure of doing something they don’t want to do either because if they do it anyway, I can still feel it. It’s not genuine and the experience is much different for all of us. You get me?

A weekend away should be a weekend AWAY. Away from the daily grind, away from worries and thoughts, away from the roles you have to play all week and into the role of the true YOU. It should offer you freshness and clarity to able to conquer the week that lies ahead of you.