5 Days in October

For five days in October, I didn't go to work. I didn't go to the beach. I didn't take my wife on a weekend getaway to an old grand hotel somewhere. I didn't go to Walt Disney World. And I must confess that I very glad I didn't do any of those things.

I had heard about how people will take time off from work and do nothing but stay home. It was foreign concept to me. I believe it is called a staycation. I have long held that time away from work was time that must be spent going somewhere or doing something. To take vacation from work and stay home seemed, somehow, wrong. We work so that we can do. At least that is how it has been for me these past few years; work hard, save money, and then go.

For these 5 day is October, I am on staycation! Merriam-Webster defines staycation as "a vacation spent at home or nearby" and Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge) has a rather nice article including etymology of the word along with some of the benefits and risks of a staycation.

Yes, I am on staycation and I am learning that it is okay to take time off just for yourself. It is okay to take time to be sleep in, to be lazy, to read for the fun of it, to listen to music, and to catch up on movies. To not keep to a schedule has been my schedule these 5 days in October. I started by thinking there were some things I'd take care, things like fixing the back gate, straightening up the garage, organizing some video, try some new recipes, and so forth. But as these days have come and gone, these things seemed less important to me than they were this time last week. I have been content to simply look out the window and enjoy a beautiful Fall afternoon, or to take a nap on the sofa with the dog.

These 5 days in October will come to an end this evening and I am happy to say that I have only thought of not being in Walt Disney World once. And when that thought occurred, I congratulated myself for not having any regrets for not having gone. It is the same with the beach. Yes, I could have been just as lazy watching the surf roll in, but being lazy at home doesn't carry an extra cost.

Let me wrap up by saying two things.

First, for all who think I my obsession has lapsed, fear not. I have a week planned following Christmas and I will celebrate the arrival of the New Year at Epcot! And... Mrs. Doc and I may just hop in the car and drive down, spend a Saturday at the International Food & Wine Festival, then drive home. So the obsession continues.

Second, I hope that from time to time I write something here that can be an encouragement. We all live busy lives. We have families. We have our work and perhaps, most importantly, we have our hopes and our dreams that drive us; sometimes to the point of exhaustion. I work harder and longer because I am pursuing a dream just as many of you are. But amid all this, let me encourage all of us to, from time to time, stop. Simply stop. Stop to enjoy the time you have in the world around you at this moment. We all work and hope for tomorrow, but sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy today.

So what have I learned during these 5 days in October? Work hard - rest well.

More to follow...