Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, or years where you just want the world to stop for a moment so you can take a breath?
As we all know, the world doesn’t, in fact, stop. But that doesn’t mean we can’t.
Take a moment now to pause. Be still.
Take a deep breath. Feel the air come into your lungs.
Hold it there for a moment.
Let it out.
Research tells us that taking just a few deep breaths can lower stress and anxiety.
But sometimes we want more peace than a few deep breaths can give us.
That’s not always possible. Sometimes we don’t have the time—or don’t feel that we can take it away from those who need us at this time in our lives.
But what if taking that time for ourselves is indeed just what they need?
Growing up, my parents would occasionally take weekend trips—leaving me and my four siblings with our grandmother. We were all better off after those two days—us kids thanks to Grandma’s brand of spoiling us and Mom and Dad for. . . well, we won’t go there.
I have a friend who once said, “The problem seems to be that when you have the money, you don’t have the time. And when you have the time, you don’t have the money.” This was in our younger years when, if we had the time, it meant we weren’t working, and therefore didn’t have money to spend as freely.
But now-a-days, that’s no longer the case. I would bet most of you have time and money to step away from your lives for a bit. If you so choose.
Consider this your invitation to do just that. It could be just a few hours. A weekend trip. Or longer.
It doesn’t even have to be planned.
You can get in your car and see where you end up.
You could go to google.com/travel/explore and put in your nearest airport. Then choose your length and month of travel and see what shows up. (Hint: Zoom out to see the world of possibilities—literally.)
A one-week trip in March from Charlotte, NC, USA
I’ve even met people for whom walking a month on the Camino de Santiago was unplanned. I thought it unusual the first time. But now I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve met on the Camino who were on the trail mere days after they decided a long walk across Spain was exactly what they needed.
So go ahead. Take a few deep breaths. And then imagine where else you’d like to be taking those deep breaths. If you find yourself on a flight sooner than you think. . . I won’t be surprised.
With love,
Rebecca
Are you 45 or over and looking for help planning your walk on the Camino de Santiago? Click here to learn more about my Camino Planning calls.
Hey Rebecca, I'm moving to Spain, Valencia specifically, in August. Happy to have found you — I would love to do the Camino at some point. My son it turns 6 in July. What's the youngest age you've seen on the Camino?
Are you Spanish or from abroad?
Good advice