Vacation

We all need a vacation. It’s a reprieve from stress, a time to relax or to pursue an adventure in an unfamiliar place.

A vacation is a break from the everyday routine and environment. That can look different for some people. It might be a break from work and home, or a break from school and academics.

Taking a vacation depends on one’s schedule, of course. Vacation time could be built in to the year (i.e. the university calendar), the days that can be taken off from work, or it could be happenstance (i.e. if one decides to take a year off).

No matter how it looks, it has the same purpose for everyone. It’s the break we need from the routine–a time to recharge. It allows the stress, anxiety and pressure to melt away as we decompress.

A change in scenery can have a profound effect on our sense of wonder and excitement. The unpredictability and the unfamiliarity of a new environment engages us to explore, and it piques our curiosity and willingness to see and try new things (i.e. foods, stores, locations, etc.).

A vacation for some people could look like a day at the beach. It could be a trip to another city or country. It could be a hike in the woods or a hike up a mountain. It could be a cross-country trip, or a day at the museum or the zoo. It could be something as simple as spending time doing one’s favorite sport or activity, such as golf or sailing.

But it can be hard to take a vacation when our mind is wrapped up in something. It could be something that is unresolved or a creative/intellectual idea that has grabbed ahold of us. Even if we take a vacation, our mind is stuck on the thing which holds our attention.

But the point of a vacation isn’t to solve problems or to pursue creative/intellectual ideas. It’s a rest–a step back–from the stresses of life. The purpose of the vacation is to improve our mood, to make us feel positive, optimistic and happy. And then when we return to our everyday lives–we feel refreshed and renewed, and ready to face the future.