Sharing a bit more about how Time Away came to be, in service of inspiring you to take a little time for yourself.
About a decade ago, I still hadn’t bought a car in my adult life. I’d spent my 20s in New York, and used to walk to work in SF, so I saw it as an unnecessary expense. That mentality lasted about five years.
Then one day, I realized my whole being felt starved for nature after spending the majority of my adult life in urban centers. I was craving wide open spaces, and desperately wanted to be able to get out of town regularly.
So I bought a car off Craigslist. (An amazing 2015 Subaru Forester).
At first, my little getaways were just for joy – spins out to Sausalito, afternoons at Rodeo Beach, occasionally venturing up to Sonoma. I kept my blanket and a crazy creek in the trunk and spent lots of time enjoying the sunshine.
Then I realized that perhaps going away for a weekend would be nice – particularly when I was navigating something that felt complex. The first time I took ‘time away,’ I was dealing with burnout from starting a nonprofit while working a full-time job. The second time, I was trying to wrap my mind around codependency and the impact it was having on me. During the pandemic, I spent a tender few days coming to terms with a loved one’s addiction. After that, I took time to recover from a miscarriage.
Each journey was incredibly healing and enlightening for me, which is why I love to encourage others to explore taking time for themselves. While you can always join one of my experiences (more on that soon!), you can also DIY. Here’s how:
- Book two nights a short drive away. On Airbnb, you can still find lodging that’s around $150 a night, and privately owned bed and breakfasts tend to be both delightful and affordable.
- Set intentions, but let go of needing a plan or defined outcomes. The magic is in going with your own flow and giving yourself space.
- Bring supplies like books that are relevant to whatever you’re working with, a nice journal, healthy snacks, and creature comforts that make you feel good, like an eye mask or candle. The small touches can be soothing if something emotional arises.
- Tell a friend, counselor, or coach what you’re up to and see if they’d be up for a phone call if you need it while you’re away.
- Abstain from alcohol and technology. You’ll have more time and feel much clearer.
- Give yourself ‘being’ time and ‘doing’ time. Being time is watching a crackling fire, enjoying a really nice walk or hike, sitting by the water, or people-watching in a cafe. Slowing down and taking it all in. Nothing to do, nowhere to be. Doing time is reading, journaling, meditating or taking yourself on an adventure like horseback riding. Aim to discern moment to moment what your system needs.
- Incorporate as much time in nature as possible. Journal, meditate, nap, dine, and move your body outdoors if you can.
That’s it. You’re giving yourself the gifts of solitude, space, reflection and nature and letting the combination of those elements work their magic on you.
Fall is a beautiful time for a getaway like this, and so is New Year’s.
I hope you’ll give it a try!
Kit
