Edition 482 – Regeneration
Was it the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, that were ever present throughout our stay, that did it?
Was it the warmth of 26 degree days, strolling around in shorts and t-shirts, in the middle of winter?
Was it watching the comings and goings of the rich variety of people that we encountered during the week?
Maybe it was some really nice wine at a great wine bar, or the simplicity of the most wondrous of delights, no matter your age….ice cream.
We’ve not long returned from 8 nights away in Palm Cove, about 30 minutes north of Cairns in Far North Queensland. We’ve often enjoyed a winter break and this year, decided to venture to a part of the country we haven’t been to in a decade.
It went slow. Like, really slow. Not at the usual pace that my mind says that a holiday usually passes. It’s slow march, each day, was both welcome and unexpected.
I read a book for the week, the story of the 80’s actor, Andrew McCarthy’s walk across Spain with his 19 year old son, retracing the steps of the Camino de Santiago that he took a quarter of a century beforehand. I read slowly, as I immersed myself in his story, and frequently checked Google Maps to take in the places he visited in his travels. Perhaps it was my immersion, in his own immersion, that slowed the pace down.
Other than a couple of half days where there were some Zoom commitments with clients, our days weren’t planned. There was no itinerary to keep to. There was no pressing sightseeing that we wanted to tick off, given the number of times we’d previously travelled to the tropics. It felt like the holidays of my primary school years, when each day was graced with unknowing and a blank canvas.
It may have crept up on me, however the feeling of completely checking out was evident early on. When I’ve experienced this in the past, I’ve often felt it in my body. A conscious awareness of my pulse. A tingling sensation in my legs, as if any form of stress is leaving me through my feet.
This time, however, it was my head where I felt it. As if the traffic had thinned out in the motorway of my mind, much like it is on a Sunday morning when it’s clear travelling and there’s few others around. Or, how you feel when you wake up after a pleasant and restful sleep, and there’s nothing ahead of you for the day. Almost, a complete emptying out of everything that’s been swirling around in my head.
There are times over the years, where I’ve felt these short breaks in life are great for coming up with new ideas – the decluttering of the day to day, allowing the mind to contemplate an alternate future. Yet, this is one of those times where it’s simply been a delight to not focus on anything, other than which coffee along the Williams Esplanade is the best, or which flavoured ice cream to enjoy today. Simple pleasures that allow you to appreciate the joy of life, and to recharge the depleted batteries in mind and body.
This Week’s Tip
“Travel broadens the mind – and rests the soul.”