travel
When I was in college, I remember Pitt Quiz Bowl trips. They became one of the highlights of my social calendar, as well as an opportunity to practice my mix CD skillz. But what I enjoyed most was the perspective removing myself from my dorm/house/apartment and from classes and from my regular (though exciting) life. Just that physical remove from my familiar surroundings, travel to exotic Cleveland or Baltimore or Buffalo, was enough to make me realize just how much mental gunk I built up. When I came home, I always felt more energized, more restful, more aware of my priorities and of my limits. I'm in the middle of two weekends away, and I can't say enough about how much I miss leaving my familiar area once in a while. I drive miles and miles every week, but I never go anywhere. Occasional travel to Manheim just doesn't cut it; too familiar, too comfortable.
Life in travel has a push and a pull, a unique necessity unlike the daily grind, draws me to make choices with one's precious time, focuses me on living in the moment more than a home life. So, hectic as I find travel, I always come away touched by that kind of control. Some of my friends take a vacation from making decisions, but for me, vacations are all about making decisions, some of them profound.
Life in travel has a push and a pull, a unique necessity unlike the daily grind, draws me to make choices with one's precious time, focuses me on living in the moment more than a home life. So, hectic as I find travel, I always come away touched by that kind of control. Some of my friends take a vacation from making decisions, but for me, vacations are all about making decisions, some of them profound.