my staycation - (last one - april 4)

let me begin by saying that i haven't had a free weekend since april 4.

i first heard this term, staycation, used by some friends from the y. they mentioned taking some time off from work but staying in omaha...they used the term, staycation. if you know me, you know i grab words and phrases i like and welcome them into my vocabulary. so. i started using the term. i saw an article about it on cnn.com and then heard other people use it, too.

the idea of a staycation has been in my head and heart for quite awhile. i've used a lot of my vacation time to go places like new york, lexington and other places. sometimes my 'vacation' day is a day dedicated to just traveling to my destination.

so this weekend i embraced my own staycation. phileena recently shared about what sabbath means to her. for awhile i tried to practice my own sabbath. i wouldn't go out and purchase anything, i tried to walk to where i needed to go. but as you know, we sometimes allow outside events, people and desires to determine the pace we should go, especially our sabbath.

as i entered into the weekend, i made some plans with different people to make sure i got enough extroverted time, it ended up being perfect. i spent almost four hours cleaning my house on saturday and loved it. phileena challenged me when she mentioned that she will run errands on saturday so she can enjoy the sabbath on sunday...and whatever doesn't get done on sunday can wait until the next weekend. could i really do it?

so. i furiously cleaned on saturday, enjoyed a slow evening with different friends and curled up in bed with christine sine's book 'sacred rhythms.' i've read another book with the same title and enjoyed the author's reflections. i read and read and read. and thought and thought. at the end of each chapter sine encourages us to answer some questions. i read those and fell asleep.

i woke up this morning without an alarm. i heard the thunder in the background and anticipated the rain storm that the weather peeps predicted. my first thoughts gravitated towards the questions in the book. i took my time getting ready. i talked to laura alley briefly. i did some exercises and began my slow morning of reading another chapter of sacred rhythms and starting and finishing the prophet.

i couldn't believe how relaxed i was. some friends asked me to look at their cats while they were gone...and i thought...oh no...how can i stay on my staycation if i have to drive. i contemplated driving and then thought more about sweating. so i packed a bag full of four magazines and headed to their house. i looked at the cats, fed them and headed to starbucks to use a coupon and take advantage of their empty patio and free sunlight.

i usually don't outline every step of my day, i find it a little boring, so sorry. but i couldn't believe how relaxing doing nothing was.

i mean. yes. ofcourse it's relaxing. i know for me that i would rather have my calendar full, always expecting something else to do and someone else to see. i think that i find a bit of security knowing that i have plans with people. and today i was faced with just being. what frustrates me is how sundays end up being so crazy because of church and church activities. i wish that church could sometimes just be having a slow brunch with friends allowing conversation and prayers to be the foundation for the day. no. we have to get to church to get a seat, meet new people, listen to the service, find friends afterwards, decide where to eat lunch, eat lunch, have sometimes surfacey conversations, run errands, take a nap, watch tv, find our beds and sleep. that's not restful at all. sometimes i think we are the busiest on Sundays...there isn't a lot of time reserved for reflection, rest or refreshment. we're hurried and going to the next thing on our agenda....and we go into mondays wondering why we are so tired.

so today. no church. i tried not to use the internet machine that much....i actually have only talked to one person on the phone today. i read four magazines from front to back....one book and a chapter of another. and i cooked lime biryani made with quinoa and have just lollygagged.

this is what i needed. when i looked at my calendar i saw that i'd scheduled out my weekends since april 4. that's painful. i'm one who craves spontaneity. i love when i get random text messages inviting me out to brunch...or when while i'm with friends with ditch our plans to mosey around the old market. it's been really hard to cultivate that rhythm in my life. a lot of my friends plan and plan and plan...unfortunately i've had to adapt to that habit or else i'm afraid that i won't ever see my friends. i know that's not true. but sometimes i do fear it.

i look at my calendar for this week and see that there's not a TON planned yet. i want to see how i can adapt a schedule and life that is freeing and allows me not to be tied down to my calendar.

so. be random with me. just see what happens. don't plan anything. leave room for nothing. enjoy sundays reading magazines just because. take naps, lots of them. paint your toenails (ladies). and forget your calendar. atleast for a day.