Back from vacation

I love vacation! You feel so refreshed and rebooted when you come back. In fact, I realized most people don't take ENOUGH of them!

I went to three different locations: LA (UCLA Butoh Symposium); Newport Beach Coast, CA; and Las Vegas, NV. I probably would've preferred Vegas before Newport Beach, but you can only plan things so much.

The Butoh Symposium was such a haven of artists, history, discussion, and practitioners of this mysterious movement practice that I love and loathe. It actually made me question my relationship with Butoh more. What is it about this practice that keeps me coming back? (I'll write more about this on my other blog. )

Newport Beach Coast was the epitome of relaxation and fun. I stayed with my Dad at his timeshare, along with my stepmom and their two friends. It was all about R&R: sitting by the pool reading, swimming or soaking up the sun; walking along the beach or hiking along the coast; watching the different birds fly around outside on the patio while overlooking the pacific ocean; shopping; watching the Boston Bruins on satellite cable TV; and then just chatting with family and friends about whatever while sipping on a beer or glass of wine. It was wonderful and so needed!

Las Vegas was crazy. It was my second time and it felt the same exact way as the first. Overstimulation and lots of people! It's still fun because everyone around seems like they're having fun too (unless you gambled all your money away). Thank God we were there for the Punk Rock Bowling Festival. A great music festival with all sorts of punk genres--pop or hard. The majority of the shows were outdoors, but I'm glad the night I went it was a cooler, overcast day. The remainder of the time I was there, the temp was in the 90s and sunny! However, I could never live there. I realized my body doesn't do well in that climate. My skin is still trying to heal from the dryness from the air there.

Vacation is important. It's necessary for the mind, body and soul. We all need a break from work-life, whatever and however that may look. We deserve it and need it.

When was the last time you went on a vacation?

Vacation

Oh my! I can't wait for vacation this week. It's been a long time since I had a real vacation. This isn't a going-back-home-to-visit-family vacation, I'm actually going somewhere different and beachy! To me, when you're on vacation the weather is very warm, even hot. You get to wear sandals all the time, sun dresses, bathing suits; you're sitting by the pool or ocean; you eat out and outside; then you sit outside with whoever and wherever you're staying with a beer or margarita. There are no obligations; only your purpose for being on vacation.

My destinations:

Thursday-Sunday: Butoh Conference and Symposium at UCLA

Sunday (eve)-Thursday (eve): Newport Beach, CA

Friday a.m.-Monday a.m.: Punk Rock Bowling Festival in Las Vegas

Those are the destinations. The way I choose to spend the time is up to me. Lots of fun, connection, creativity, and R & R. It's so close, I feel like I'm already there.

Stay-cation appreciation

Another alternative to vacation: stay-cation. I just learned this term yesterday. Sometimes just staying home for a week can be just as relaxing and replenishing as going away somewhere. I have found that, for me, it's truly a vacation. Last week, my mother came to visit. Since she's been to San Francisco before, we didn't have to do all those touristy things that you would normally do when visiting a new city. We would wake up whenever; have coffee, tea and breakfast; and then either go shopping, walking, visiting her brother in hayward, museum, or just lounge around. I'm very close with my mother these days than I have ever been in my life. I appreciate everything she has done right down to giving birth to me. I feel all the work I have done (and still doing) on myself has really made a difference in the people in my life, even those who would push my buttons or drive me crazy! This stay-cation really allowed me to appreciate everyone and everything around me--my apartment, the materials in my apartment, my job, my health, my husband, my family, my cats, the sunshine and sky!

So I decided to start a meditation practice for myself. Since I'm really busy at this time in my life, I decided to meditate for up to 10 minutes when I can. Focusing on what I'm grateful for and what I want to create for myself--career, life, with my husband, etc. This is something that my therapist recommended to me and I have found such wonderful value with it. I have experienced the joy and grateful-ness through my whole body and being and I want others to experience it too. Down the road, I want to build up my practice to a daily exercise. That's my goal and declaration.