Weekend Getaway

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Tahoe mountain pic

We always talk about “getting away for a weekend”.  Talk, talk, talk – we talk A LOT about it.  Yet it’s something Hubby and I seldom do.

There’s always a million little reasons why we can’t or shouldn’t or don’t take a weekend.  Work. Money. Family. Work.  I could just type “work” over and over again as the real reason behind our inability to get away.  It’s just too difficult to power down for even a few days.  And even more difficult to face the hundreds of emails when we return.

Fed up, I finally decided to do something other than talking about a long weekend.  Hubby had a birthday coming up and I planned a weekend out-of-town as an early present.

It was hard to lock in a date, agree to power down for the weekend and just relax.  Fear crept in as the date approached with both of us wondering how we would ever get our work done.

What if someone needs us? How long would it take us to bounce back? Would we actually turn-off and relax? COULD we actually do it? Or had we forgotten how to enjoy a few days of R&R?

I had the added stress of leaving mom, who had taken a nasty tumble and was not yet 100%.   Even the doctor reassured me she would be fine.

Well, let me tell you something. It was just like riding a bike. We remembered how to relax.  And it was awesome!

Aside from taking tons of photos and sharing on social media, that was it.  No work emails.

Going into this, we had a few goals.  Play golf.  Hike.  Sit on the side of a mountain and watch the world go by.

Check, check and check.

The best part?  We were able to clear out minds for a few days and let other thoughts enter. 

Sitting on a rock on the side of a mountain, we talked and listened to birds and just enjoyed the breathtaking view.  With undivided attention we shared thoughts and ideas with each other in the calm of the day and both came away inspired, actually ready to get back to work.

Weekend getaways should be required for everyone, whether you’re working or looking for work.  They can bring out the best in a person; mainly a fresh perspective.

Look at me; I got this blog post out of it.

Disconnected

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Ping! Buzz! Ding-Ding! My electronic devices are constantly talking to me.  Sort of like kids who are always peppering mom with a million demands – I need this! I’m hungry! When can we go out to play?  At least that’s how I imagine kids to be.  Kind of hard for me to be accurate here since my daughter has four legs, a fur coat and a ferocious bark.  Her needs are simple: food, water and some outside time – not very demanding at all.

But my electronic devices are always demanding something of me.  Read this, can you answer this question, here’s some news.  Answer me, answer me, answer me!  Just like most of us, I’m always connected, all of the time and technically always available. 

In some ways all this connectivity has made our lives easier.  Who remembers not wanting to leave the house just in case that special guy called for a date?  I do – what a waste of time that was!  At least with mobile phones and computers there’s no need to wait.  That special guy can call always find me if he wants to.  Yes Hubby, I mean you.  Hubby is breathing a sigh of relief.

There are a million good reasons for all this connectivity.  And I’ve bought into the program. I’ve got the latest gadgets so I can be connected personally and professionally.  All the time; 24/7/365.  I’m actually annoyed on occasion if I can’t get in touch with someone.  Geez – answer the call/email/text; don’t you hear the pinging?

As good as it is to be connected and as fun as all those social networks are, I’ve come to the realization that I need a break.  I seriously need a break.  With all this connectivity, I can’t seem to turn off the pinging, dinging and buzzing and relax for a while.  Hard to believe that I can’t just chill by the pool or watch a movie or read a magazine.  It’s gotten so bad that Hubby and I can hardly sit through a meal without checking our electronic devices.  Here I am, sitting next to the man of my dreams, and I’m worried about missing something “important” when my electronic device goes off.

So this week I’ve disconnected.  Thanks to technology, I was able to schedule this post days in advance.  As you read this, Hubby and I will be sitting in a cabana by a beautiful pool at a resort.  Hopefully I’ll be reading a book or a magazine – the old fashioned way, not on an electronic device. That would be too tempting.  Maybe we’ll be watching a movie or a sunset or simply talking to each other, uninterrupted. 

What’s that?  You want to know if I’m really disconnected or if I’ve slipped up and peeked at my electronic devices? I’ve done it before so I’m convinced I can do it again.  Since this post was written in advance, you’ll have to trust that I’ve stuck to my guns and disconnected.   

Trust me; just don’t ping me.

© Tami Cannizzaro 2012 All Rights Reserved