I technically don't get an official spring break. This week I've had finals for massage school, next week I start my teaching term again, but cutting back to only one school requirement for both of these weeks has allowed me a few days for more freedom. Last weekend I had arranged to volunteer at the beach clean-up, invited one of my best high school gals, and scheduled some study time, all at the family beach cabin on the northern Oregon coast. I also ended up transporting Granny and meeting my parents there so they could take her on to their home for the rest of this week.
This weekend I'm heading back to pick up Granny and grant her another few days in her beach cabin, but it also will allow me another 24 hours of slower living and increased quiet time. I spent much of last weekend sitting out in the sunshine on the deck, staring at the river and ocean waters.
I cooked simple meals, relished my morning coffee, and took the dogs on slow, easy jogs on the sand and through town.
Volunteering for the first time in years (?!) also was an incredibly reflective experience but allowed me to reconnect with other parts of myself that have long been dormant. My gal Brook and I had the opportunity to chat and reconnect sharing details of life over the last several months, and I think she truly needed some time to just relax and be present individually. Her dog and my gals thankfully got along smashingly and the girls loved teaching him how to enjoy his first trip to the sand!
I slept like a rock, I took soaks in the tub, and I came back to the valley feeling solid, refreshed, and more aware of who I am. The beach just heals me...and is truly the natural environment to which I feel drawn.
The first weekend in April I will also head to my parents home on the Southern Oregon coast for a final long weekend. It's mom's birthday on the 5th and dad's birthday on the 13th so every year I try to make it home for at least one of their days of birthday celebration. While I can't afford much, being present is the best gift I can usually give them. Being in my home town will allow for work to get done, comfortable easy jogs on familiar routes, more time at the sand with the dogs, and quality time with the parents...all before heading straight into another double term. :)
Here's hoping for more beautiful moments like this:
I am so glad you had the opportunity to get away to a place that brings you peace and comfort. The way you feel about the beach is how I feel about weekends at my parents lake home. Life moves slower up there and I have no pressures to be anywhere or do anything. My parents want me to sleep as much as I can or want so there is no pressure to get early (although I rarely sleep in). I can just 'be' when I am at the lake.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you'll get to see your parents around their birthdays. I think your presence is definitely the best present you could give them honestly!