So last week we were in the US on a short vacation. It was a nice relaxing break from the everyday stress which seems to take hold of my life more and more these days. We had good food (if a bit too much) and a good time on the river with the jet skis and the boat. It was good to see the family again, and we also had a fun day at a theme park called Silverwood. Steph braved my seafood test at Red Lobster and passed with flying colors, taking with her a new appreciation for the tasty creatures of the sea. She also got a pretty bad sunburn, but overall she seemed pretty good at ignoring it and had a good time regardless.
It was so good to feel the breeze on the boat again, and splash around in the water like a kid. I think we are tested by ourselves on vacations quite often. The stress of getting there and getting back, along with the differences in environment often take their toll on our simple minds and we resort to arguments, or lose our ability to enjoy the moment. In this case, I was pretty proud of myself. Although we had stresses that I won't go into (mostly because they were during the actual travel, and aren't worth mentioning) I felt that I was able to see the humor in the situations, the good that comes out of them, or see beyond into the silver prospects of reality.
I felt more relaxed during this tidbit of a break than I had in a long time, and I think it did me good.
I don't know if everyone can understand what I mean when I talk about “the feeling” of a place. What I mean by this is a bit hard to explain, but I'll give it a try.
During a trip, there is usually a short moment when I feel as if my place in the world is perfect. During this moment, it is as if I am somehow receiving or tuning into the very essence of a place. Maybe it isn't just the one place, but a connection between all places….and at that moment I feel in touch with everything. I think that throughout my life, I'll constantly be in pursuit of something I think of as “the click” when everything snaps into place, and I feel like that all of the time.
The only other times I can remember feeling this way are during meditation…so basically I think it has to do with opening of the mind, and awareness. Travel just seems to do things to my mind easily, I guess.
The feeling this time was achieved right before leaving. I wasn't sure it would happen this time, because it hasn't always, when visiting my family. Anyway, we were in the car, and it was quiet. My dad rolled down the window to get a ticket for the airport parking, and it happened. The air, the lighting, the smell, the sound. It all merged into one living breathing thing, and entered my mind….and it was beautiful.