I happen to live in a vacation spot. People come here from all over the world to visit our beautiful beaches and get into the relaxing island vibe that says “I am on holiday.” But as lovely as it is, us islanders need to take a vacation from our vacation land every now and then.
So what do we do? We take a weekend trip to our neighbors at sea: The Virgin Islands. Only 100 miles and a 90 dollar plane ticket away from where I live, these islands are the perfect escape when life gets a bit overwhelming.
Yet, as budget friendly and tempting it is to spend the weekend on white sanded beaches with a tropical drink in hand, I can’t seem to just say yes without first coming up with a string of excuses.
I don’t have time off from work. I am saving money for other things. My body is so not ready for swim suit season, much less bikini season. I have no one to leave my dogs with. I need to visit relatives. The list can be endless.
It’s almost as if I need to feel bad first by listing all the responsibilities I have before I can indulge in a stress free weekend. Maybe it’s because I haven't paid enough dues that call for a needed holiday like most people do and I’m afraid they’ll say “She’s going on vacation? What for?” Maybe it’s because I just waste too much of my time worrying about what people think, but I can’t seem to commit to my holiday unless someone else convinces me I deserve it.
Why is that? Why must we feel like we need to work incredibly hard so we can earn a proper time out from everything we deal with? Why is thinking only about you for a few days an immediate guilt trip?
As the list of excuses reached the 20th item, I knew I had to just shake myself and say “What are you doing? Stop making yourself feel bad for doing what you want!” And really, when a friend says they want you to come on a four day boat trip with them to the colorful British Islands… you just say yes.
And I crushed my excuse list into a ball, threw it out and headed for the Islands.
No comments:
Post a Comment