Today is last day of my weeklong February vacation. This year that week was spent in quarantine as my husband came down with COVID the week before the break. I was sort of dreading a whole week inside my house. Don’t get me wrong. I love my small, cozy home, and I feel so lucky to have this time off, but I wasn’t sure I could find enough to do to keep me engaged for a whole week, especially when my husband was going to be out of commission and my younger daughter did the right thing and quarantined in NYC. And did I mention it is February in Connecticut with lots and lots of snow?
But the truth is, I had a really great vacation. Being confined to a small space for most of the week (with the exception of a daily walk) taught me a few things.
I learned:
-To relax and get comfortable with the idea of a calm, slow week.
-How to live in the moment.
-It can be nice to choose the shows and movies I want to watch without having to get agreement from others.
-To crochet.
-To establish a solid exercise routine.
-To cook a few new things.
-That I miss my husband when he is not around (He had to live in a separate room!).
-That life is more fun with people in the house, but I can manage alone if I have to.
-I always need a few pets around to snuggle with, take for walks, feed, and look after.
-That reading is one of the best ways to spend my time. (I knew this, of course, but it’s been a long time since I had hours and hours and hours available to read!).
-There are so many things to learn and so many ways to learn them (podcasts, Ted Talks, blogs, documentaries, books, shows, audiobooks, etc.).
-I can be happy without having to travel, visit, shop, and eat out.
Of course I wish my husband didn’t get sick (His case was quite mild and he has recovered nicely.), and I wish I didn’t have to spend my vacation week in quarantine, but all in all, I had a great vacation and learned some important things about myself.