The Wanderlust - The Beach - And The Camino

Back in February David and I took a trip to Jackson Beach Florida. We had so much fun. I was happy to get away and spend time with him. He was going for business and I for pleasure. We both satisfied what we were there for. It had been awhile since an opportunity of this kind presented itself. When it came up we were both ready and eager to go. 

We spent two nights and three days and our hotel was five minutes away from the beach. It was perfect. We didn't get to do much site seeing but we weren't there for that. He was there for business, I was there for pleasure and we used that time to marry both. 

A friend recommended the book in the picture below. He said I needed to read it and when I was done I'd know why. I read it in the two days while I was there. Between my hotel room and time spent at the beach I finished reading the entire thing and knew exactly why I needed to read it. 

The Camino - A Journey of the Spirit is a true story about a woman's spiritual journey that takes her on one of history's most difficult pilgrimages, by foot, for thirty days, in Spain, along the Santiago de Compostela Camino. The things she learned about herself, people, the way she dealt with people in difficult situations, changed her life. I watched her grow into a different women than when she began. This pilgrimage is not for the weak at heart. Many go into it thinking one thing and realize quickly it was not what they thought. Many people don't finish and some have lost their lives. I watched her use tools alongside the road to give her strength when she didn't think she could go any further. She got lost. She found her way. She cried, she smiled, she met and lost friends. She pressed on, and on, not for anyone else but for herself. She did this for herself. 

There is something about traveling away from your daily routine that allows you to reconnect and rediscover that which is inside of you. Sometimes it's exactly what we need in order to refocus, plan, and simply reset. 

This was a great read and was perfect for my trip.

The beach was lovely. It was just what I expected - peaceful, serene, welcoming, loud, moist, familiar, soothing, patient, firm, gently, vast, deep, plentiful. It was cold and windy, getting in or dipping my feet in was out of the question. I simply enjoyed being there, being in the same space as the ocean. Being in the same space as Mother Ocean. I was home.

This was the beginning of my travels this year. A couple of months later I was in Atlanta, and a few weeks from now (and later this year) I'll be traveling again. Like I said earlier, traveling allows you to reconnect with that which is most important, yourself. It should be done often. It should be on the top of our "what we value list". I also believe that traveling doesn't necessarily have to take you out of town. You could book a room at a hotel and spend a couple of days away right at home. You don't have to go far to find that space and time you need. If you've been putting it off and you know you don't need to any longer, stop, book that room, or that flight right now. You'll thank me later. This I know for sure.

Here are some ways I've been able to create space in order to get away.

~ Add it to my value list. My time is valuable. I make it a priority. If I value my time away then I'll do whatever it takes to get.

~ Make sure others value your time away as well. The people around you have to see you valuing your time. Make sure you are leading them by example. Show them that you care so that they will care too.

~ Schedule it. Schedule your time away and stick to it. Put it on your calender like you would anything other special occasion. Once a month, twice a month, every other month - whatever floats your boat. Once it's on paper you'll plan for it.

I hope these tips help and I'll soon be hearing where your wanderlust has taken you.

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Where have you traveled to this year? Are you planning on traveling soon, if so, where? I would love to hear about your travels and traveling experiences. 

Share with me. 

xo