Take a vacation!

If we have learned anything during our recent pandemic, it is the necessity of a vacation — of just getting away. What is a vacation? I give it a most liberal definition: it is the action of changing your venue, either physically or mentally, to allow your mind to rest. Then, you can regenerate, and reflect on your perspective of life.

A physical trip can be divided into three phases. There is the beginning of the excursion itself before the adventure actually begins: the first conceptualization, the planning, the assembly of the funds, the purchasing of new attire — will it be a cool or a warm time of year? Next comes the genuine trip, the adventure, the joys, the losses — the stolen or misplaced luggage — the invariable difficulties with the security and police officials, the memorable events, the stunning realizations, the remarkable epiphanies, etc., etc. Finally comes the arrival home, the unpacking of the valises, the organizing of the notes and pictures, and the presentation of the souvenirs.

Each piece of the voyage has its own distinctiveness, its own particularity. Some like the surge of energy and dopamine that the forethought of any tour presents. While others enjoy the travel itself — the smells, sights, and sounds that encompass the sejour. The more reflective souls enjoy the assembly of the memories, the lessons learned, the relationships built — or lost, for that matter — all encapsulate the human experience.

Now a cerebral or spiritual trek is much the same. There is a conceptualized odyssey, “What is the purpose of my life?” for example. “I don’t know, but there must be an objective!” is a fair response, especially when you are young. Thus begins the unpacking of the adventure. We are told: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (1) Then comes the work itself. I must finish my schooling and begin my career. There will be many false starts, but eventually, if I am not afraid of some risk, I will find the right way. I must simply begin. Once I find my correct metier, and enter into a state of flow, (2) I will be able to nurture my life mission. In due course, later in life, I will ameliorate my actions and knock on the door of some insight and convey this to the people that I love and care for.

Both peregrinations alter how we see the world. People who travel have often blended these two ways of taking a vacation. They can regale us with the savors and scents of a faraway land, but they also have some morceau of thoughtfulness to impart. Take a vacation, we need it. Saint Augustine (3) leaves us with a thought: The world is a book, and those who don’t travel only read one page.

A closing thought: In an age of packaged travel and artificiality, a self-generated or solitary vacation is one way to seek awareness. A respite such as this is an attempt to learn to reflect and think critically about our life and the events of the world. As citizens, we are now called on to ponder more than ever before. I trust that we are up for the challenge. It begins with a physical and mental vacation.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about taking a vacation and the experiences that we will gain.

To be noted: From Germany Kent (4) — To say nothing is saying something. You must denounce things you are against or one might believe that you support things you really do not.

Just for fun: