Last weekend I spent an incredible three days
camping on an island with some friends. We were
only an hour out of the city but we felt like we were
at a great distance from civilization of any sort.
Just being in the car leaving the city, we could feel
the busy-ness of our lives starting to fall away. As
we pulled into the park and carried our gear down to
the lake, we knew we were really getting away from
our hectic lives. Loading up the canoes and paddling
for an hour to get to the island filtered away the last
little bit of the rat race.
We cooked over a fire and ate what tasted like
gourmet fare, given the surroundings. We lost total
track of time. Some slept in tents while others slept
in hammocks. We gathered wood and sat around a
fire. We played music and sang. We swam, soaked
up sun and paddled.
I must have gotten home at 12:30 Sunday evening.
The time I had spent away felt like two weekends, I
had so much fun and felt so good. I was amazed
that spending three days and two nights in nature
could be so grounding and reconnecting.
While there is some work in preparing to get away
like this, the preparation is part of the experience.
You really start to realize all the things you take for
granted in everyday life. Without plumbing,
electricity, refrigeration and other conveniences, the
simplest things become quite a task. The effort that
goes into preparing the simplest meal makes it tastier
and more rewarding.
The real magic in the trip was the time it allowed me
to stop and notice what I had been taking for
granted. Some of it was the conveniences that I am
used to. Some of it was the calming and energizing
effects of being in nature and by water. Most of it
though was the fact that I took some time to detach
from work life and connected with myself.
The summer is filled with opportunities to take even a
short time to be in nature and reconnect to
yourself. Even if you’re not into the great outdoors,
spending time in the garden, walking in the woods or
by water can be very energizing.
Take advantage of every opportunity you get to
spend time in nature this summer. Remember that
the relaxed and grounded feeling you get from taking
time to relax is what’s normal. Not the busy and
stressed feeling of regular life. When you have taken
time off, make sure to get an entrainment. It
anchors this state into your neurology and sets a
new standard for your regular state of tension.
As for me, I’m going on a four day kayaking trip down
the Black river this coming weekend. Have a great
long weekend!
