Hello to my lovely ladies who love vacations and traveling in style. I am trying something different with this blog topic so if you find this content helpful, let me know. I will share more content like this if well received or if I feel compelled to share more.
My past traveling experiences were only about vacations and before planning those vacations, I found myself in a consistent state of burnout from everyday life; I desperately needed an escape. At this time, I am 9 months pregnant with my first child, so traveling long distances domestically or internationally will not happen for a while. Now that we have that out of the way, as I mentioned previously, I thought of vacations as a form of escape which I am sure most of us do and I convinced myself that not only was I trying to escape from something in my life but I also wanted to go somewhere that I perceived as nicer and more peaceful than what I was familiar with.
Ever since my husband and I returned from our babymoon in Hawaii back in May this year and realized that we would not be traveling for a while since we are about to become first-time parents, I have had to redefine what true rest means to me and how I can get it without waiting till I feel thoroughly exhausted and without relying on a vacation splurge to feel refreshed again.
When I think of what rest truly means to me, I think of the ability to enjoy every aspect of my life, even the mundane, with the option to have refreshing moments to refuel and pour back into the things that matter most to me. Looking back at my motives for traveling and having vacations, I noticed I never truly rested during my trips. I felt temporarily relieved from my daily routine in life but guess what, as soon as the vacation ended, I would suddenly feel a massive rush of reality hit me and find myself right back where I started before planning my next escape.
Eventually, I had to recognize that something was missing in my desperate search for true rest, so I did what I only knew of as a believer; I prayed, studied my bible, and talked to loved ones about how I was feeling. It became clear that I had to take a break from the routines and activities that made me feel exhausted about my life and seek out the kind of rest I could incorporate into my everyday life without waiting till I felt drained.
The decision to take a break from the routine that caused my burnout was the first step. Next, I identified the why behind my exhausting routine and the purpose of it all. Finally, I had to figure out who I am, what I want to do in this world, how I want to do it, and what truly living means to me. A major cause of my burnout was the career I had, and I noticed that my motivation for pursuing that career was purely self-focused. As a result, I became miserable overworking myself because I could not find a healthy motive and true meaning in what I did.
I decided it was time to think of myself less and focus more on engaging in daily routines and engagements that allowed me to be more selfless than selfish. I believe that operating from that space will lead to a more fulfilling life that I will not be so desperate to escape from and it would also allow me to enjoy my vacations more. Instead of thinking of taking a vacation to get away from an overwhelming life, I can think of a vacation to simply take a short break from doing fulfilling work; I can be focused on enjoying the fruits of my labor by engaging in other parts of the world that are not necessarily better than what I am familiar with but just different.
I am yet to fully embody this new idea of rest but when I do, I will let you know how it is going and if it works.
Until next time, I hope you ladies can find true rest in your everyday lives and meaning in the things you invest your time in. Take care and keep being stylish!
