I need a good nudge to get out of town, just like everyone else — which is ridiculous, considering I'm usually the one telling YOU to book the trip.
Here in these final moments of summer, our family snuck away to Sunriver for a few nights, right in the middle of a very busy season of life, business, and "school is starting" mania.
And yes, just like you, I asked myself if we really had the time and mental stamina to throw a four-hour drive and three-day getaway into all of this DOING. 😝
Luckily, my husband said "we're going — non-negotiable." And thank god he did.
About 30 minutes into the drive, it hit. The to-do list moved to the back of my brain, and suddenly I could focus on far more important things. Like watching the sun cast shadows, listening to the birds squawk at each other, and deciding the clouds looked suspiciously like French croissants. Basically, the ahhh. 😌
Sunriver (if you're not from Oregon) is a little resort town in Central Oregon tucked among ponderosa pines, wide-open meadows and the Deschutes River. It has just the right amount of nature and just the right amount of not-nature. I like to say it's my idea of camping — I get to be immersed in the wild, but come back to my refrigerator, bed, and shower.
Within hours, I was taking in the air and watching the grasses sway in the wind. Enjoying the friendly hellos on my morning walks, from both other guests and the resident deer families. Ending each day watching the kayakers float by while I nursed my last summer gin and tonics. 🥲
It was absolutely delightful. It slowed me down. I took a breath. Or 19 breaths, to be exact. And I came home with a slightly different speed in my boots.
And to think I almost let being busy, school supply lists, and the overwhelm of throwing all of my stuff into the back of our car keep me from all of that joy?!
That's the thing about making the plan to get away: it's disguised as optional, but it's absolutely necessary.
"There's something incredibly special about waking up each day and trusting that someone has already curated something beautiful for you."
Sometimes you just need to be somewhere different to feel a little different. See anew. Feel anew. Come back anew. Never underestimate what a little travel can do.
So. Consider this YOUR nudge. Go somewhere. See something new. Come home with a different speed in your boots.
Your fellow busy human, travel pusher & believer in getting the hell out of town,
Sydney
