”For me, this past summer was more unusual. For many years in a row I went away quite often, admittedly always for two or three days at a time. This time, however, I was in Bucharest in July and August. It’s true that I had a good dose of holiday air during the two weekends in June when I went to Paris and Istanbul.
Small and frequent doses of holiday, of escape, are for me the key to a state of well-being. I haven’t had a long vacation in over twenty years. I’m not saying that’s better, that’s how it is for me now.
Besides, I like Bucharest in the summer, when the traffic is slower, the world seems more forgiving, it’s as if we are no longer running like headless chickens from one boulevard to another, it’s as if time takes on a more human dimension.
Do you remember that feeling we used to have when we were children, on our long holidays, when the day seemed so long that we could fit in so many games, so much laughter, so much joy, so many books we read at the top of our lungs, and there were still hours left to get bored?
I re-experienced the feeling this summer, when I read a lot, moved from book to book only to finish the previous one too quickly, marvelled that my phone seemed to be on strike, no longer ringing, no longer beeping from any messages. No, it wasn’t broken, but everyone had their own thing to do, and this silence delighted me this time.
Most of the summer I had the feeling that time was more unstructured, unhurried, that I could work, write, read, go to a terrace, observe the people, the trees, the clouds, the seagulls immigrating to Bucharest – for a few years now, I’ve noticed more and more.
I did what I liked to do, without much worry and without caring too much about time.
Of course I also worked, but I also allowed myself to make room in my day for other activities that were usually only for Christmas holidays or days off. For example, I started going to the gym twice a week. I’ve been doing this for five months now and I’m proud of myself.
Summer holidays are the times when we can look outside ourselves, at our existence, and try to put it back on the page so it’s the way we want it to be.
Perhaps a good idea is to incorporate into our holidays a few moments to think about what we are doing, how we are doing it and what we want in the long term.
Do we like to have more of the holiday mood every day? Here are some suggestions – these are activities I do, from time to time, that work for me:
- Set up breakfast meetings at a special hotel. That way, you’ll work, meet a client, colleague or co-worker in a place that has some of the spirit of holiday pampering.
- Find a group of people who have similar concerns as you. I have a colleague who participates in a book club, somewhat like the movie The Book Club. Once a month, these meetings with different people will take you out of the everyday, bring you something new, enrich you. Another colleague attends tennis and fishing tournaments, and the people he sees there are different, new people with different interests during his time at work.
- Go on a course in another country or a course related to a passion of yours. I did a sommelier course last year. I’m not a big wine drinker, I like champagne and dry white wine, and when I drink, I want it to be the best. Plus, wine can be a topic of discussion in various circles.
- Go to a terrace or bar with friends or colleagues after work. A few years ago, I used to go to the Irish Pub every week, it was a place where I met a lot of people, it was always good times.
- Once a week, go to a café in the morning and drink your coffee there, read, get your thoughts in order. It may take 30-45 minutes, but you’ll be glad you took the time and attention.
- Make a list of the people who have supported you along the way, the loved ones who matter to you. Make sure you see them, reminisce, learn more about them.
The last couple of years have raised some red flags: in the blink of an eye, we can find out someone is gone. I have a friend who, since this spring, has spent almost every weekend with relatives, friends, people she didn’t see very often. She’s travelled across the country to see them, and she’s tired, but she says it’s worth all the effort.
When you go on holiday to different places, connect with people who might increase your network of acquaintances. I have a friend, a mentor, like me, in PWN, who connects with association representatives in various cities across Europe, meets them when she travels. So she has a very large network of acquaintances.
Finally, I suggest you make a list of what you like to do on holiday and think about how you can fit some of these things, in small doses, into your weeks during the rest of the year.
Then make a list of the things you like to do at work, but don’t usually have time for – and fit them into your holiday. That way, at the intersection of what you need, you might find new ideas, get creative.”
via: Forbes
