Creativity can even happen on vacation. Especially if you’re short on cash. While others have the resources to travel the world, at this point in our lives my wife, Tammy, and I aren’t quite there yet. So we make it our practice to put ourselves into a vacation mindset on a regular basis.
Admittedly, we live in a place where it might be easier to do. We live in Orlando, Florida, one of the vacation capitols of the world. So we have purchased annual passes to Walt Disney World. Just the other night, on the spur of the moment, we met a friend of ours at the Disney Boardwalk and then made our way into EPCOT. We all decided that, in our minds, we were on vacation, even though it was only for the evening.
But no matter where you are you can find a place to take on a vacation mindset. And it doesn’t even have to cost you anything. Go to a local park with a picnic. Explore an area of town you haven’t yet seen. Take a dip in a public pool or lake. Take your bike on a new trail.
The key is to make it a mindset.
- Let go of the concerns of the day
- Free yourself from the worries of work or school
- Focus on the fun right in front of you
- Make the agreement with others that you are “on vacation” together
- Enjoy searching for something new
This summer you can take a break no matter where you are. Even if your Paid Time Off is in short supply, you can take advantage of evenings and weekends. Put it on your calendar and make it happen. You deserve a break.
You may not be able to travel the world, but you can make the most of the unexplored places right in front of you.
I’d love to hear about your creative summer “vacation” in the comments below.
When one of my education profs at UW Madison would catch a student adrift in their thought, or worse yet, asleep, he’d say: “Timm just took a trip and didn’t leave the farm!” Pastor Tom is exactly right, vacation is a state of mind, and can happen anywhere. It has to happen for us to maintain balance. Like Hawkeyes said in an episode of M*A*S*H: “You have to go nuts once in a while, or you’ll go crazy.” May God grant you all a mini vacation to your dream destination right now!
tt