hop in a car and go
no permission needed
"must" and "should" forgotten
to-do list discarded
zero bookings and reservations
fluid departure and arrival times
undetermined destinations
no plans, schedules, agendas
the day unfolds
us two
together
This is what my hubby and I did last week. Four days of freedom, exploration and fun - in the city, in the nature, in little towns and villages. On one day, when we drove around, the sky played a magnificent show of lightening to admire in far distance and washed the roads with rain. When we stopped, the clouds held the rain and we were able to wonder around. We started with a walk in a rose garden; stood on a platform of a watch tower admiring the seemingly endless forests; found ourselves being the only customers in a woodwork shop in a small village; hiked on a nature trail in an ancient forest between the sea and a coastal cliff; climbing down several flights of stairs and then up again next to a water fall reminded us of muscles we had forgotten; and the day finished with a stroll in old and well tended park. And though it may sound unbelievable, our last stop was to watch a bright double rainbow over a vast wheat field.
The other unplanned days were equally fulfilling.
This is what I probably needed. Just the two of us, spending time together, away from people, no rush, no expectations. The beginning of the holidays was rougher than usual for me. I was so tired during the first week that I wished to crawl in a shell like a snail and to be left alone. I didn't want to leave home. I didn't want to see anybody. I didn't want to do anything. I couldn't run an experiment on how many days it would have taken to fully recover if I had a chance to hide from the world. Perhaps it was good that I had reasons to leave home and meet people, but the return to being myself took longer than I anticipated. It was when I was standing on the edge of a limestone cliff watching over the beautiful evening sea, no make-up, toes a bit wet, thigh muscles sore, hubby next to me, when I felt rested, felt normal, felt happy.
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| Baltic Sea, North Estonia, below Ontika limestone cliff |
Places we visited:
Noblessner port
Fotografiska exhibition
La Muu ice-cream shop
Põltsamaa rose garden
Avinurme woodwork shed
Iisaku watch tower
Ontika cliff
Valastu water fall
Toila park
Saka manor
Rõngu bakery shop
Ööbikuorg
Taevaskoja hiking trail
Tallinn zoo
Lyon cafe
Wow! That is an impressive list of places visited in four days! And it sounds like so much fun! I hope the rest of your summer is relaxing, revitalizing, and fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree that "going with the flow" even for a few days is restorative and energizing!You capture the need for both physical and mental rest as well as the need for joyful movement. You sure sound like you found a balance.
ReplyDeleteLove that you're feeling rested, normal, and happy. But these words made me a bit sad for all my friends in the teaching profession - ". . . the return to being myself took longer than I anticipated." I know many can echo that end of year exhaustion. I wonder what can we do as a society to make things better for the teachers in our world. What could be taken off your plate so you don't end up this way by the end of a school year?
ReplyDeletethe day unfolds
ReplyDeleteus two
together
Those are the best words!
Unstructured unplanned days are the best. They reset the mind and can change your outlook. We have many of those days with retirement. They always feel good. Hope there are more of these in your future.
ReplyDeleteYour choice to open with a poem focused us as readers into the heart of your message and the feeling of liberation and happiness that the two of you shared. Knowing where you were headed with your message made me want to read the details of where you went to achieve such a wonderful feeling. May you continue to be rested and fulfilled as the summer marches on.
ReplyDelete