A Welcome Distraction

This week my husband, pets and I are planning an RV trip to get out of the Texas heat. While preparing to be away from home, packing, and getting the house ready to be gone is stressful, I am looking forward to the welcome distraction of travel.

Travel is my go-to when I am feeling down or stuck. Being in an unknown place, where everything and everyone is new gets me out of my head. It forces me to be present to all that is going around me - from the bumpy, gravel road, to the trees rustling outside my window to the noisy kids playing nearby. Travel forces me to stay in the present moment and stay out of my negative mind.

Travel also gives my over-active mind plenty to do. There is always something to think about or plan - from what to eat for lunch today, to where to spend the night, to what activities to experience while we are there. And I enjoy the challenge of it. It is exciting and a welcome relief from the day-to-day boredom of life back home. Of course, what's missing is the long list of chores sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for my return. But none of that matters when I'm travelling.

And so travel is a welcome relief from my everyday life. It forces me to stay present, it keeps my mind busy with planning and decision-making, and it focusses my attention on the basics - where I will lay my head that night, what will I feed myself, and what I will do in the hours between sunrise and sunset.

Ok, enough procrastinating, I have to get back to packing.