Vacation (or a new perspective on routine?)
Vacation (or a new perspective on routine?)
The long-awaited vacation has arrived. A well-deserved rest, after months of work. Whether to travel with family, get a change of scenery, or simply leave behind the obligations of daily life, a vacation is usually a highly anticipated time to break from routine. Expectations are typically high: people seek unforgettable joyful moments, indelible memories, or simply a period of rest.
However, it seems that to truly enjoy the longed-for break, one must rush. Take a trip, for example. The days leading up to it feel more like a track-and-field competition, with little time to complete all work tasks, pack bags, and gather everything needed for the big day: the first day of vacation. It seems like the world needs to stop so that we can, finally, live.
And so the trip begins. Usually, joy is placed in the expectation that, in a few days, we will be able to release emotions that have been kept in check throughout the year. After all, we have only a few days to experience all the joy placed in the expectation of being able to live out the emotions that have been kept in check throughout the year. It seems that upon arriving at the destination, everything changes: different experiences, flavors, and landscapes help create the sensation that, now, time has finally slowed down.
But… does it really have to be like this?
Could it be that it’s only possible to feel joy and connection with family and friends by being far from routine? Do we need to leave home, lock the office door, or finish the school or college semester in order to experience special days? Could it be that living is reduced to many intense days of tasks and obligations, lived on autopilot, just to obtain a few days of happiness?
Going on vacation, changing the usual scenery, and being with loved ones can be wonderful. But what about the joy of fully living each day? What about the family dinner experienced throughout the week? Or a child’s smile when showing a drawing that, to them, is a masterpiece? Or a lazy Sunday breakfast, with the expectation of spending a day full of “nothing” next to those we love? Don’t these small everyday moments — when added together — also make life something extraordinary?
Perhaps the change we look for during vacation is actually within everyone’s reach, every day. If we shift the way we look at the small acts of routine, daily life can be transformed. If consciousness is expanded, any moment can be meaningful, because we’ll understand that learning, joy, and the unexpected can arise as we look at the same events from different perspectives.
Maybe it’s not necessary to wait a whole year to intensely live unforgettable moments. Maybe it’s possible to begin the long-awaited vacation today.
It’s up to each one of us.
