Life Works

While the sidewalks are sizzling and the economy is not, the dog days of summer are a great time to get away. With heat, third quarter sluggishness at work or in the job search, and preparing for the shift to the activity of fall, there’s no better time to recharge and reevaluate.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

I recently took the plunge – cashing in credit card points/airline miles for a trip that included Italy and Ireland, all for the low low cash price of $90. My challenge: a limited budget and in the emotional transition to being a solo traveler after years of marriage. With longing for new vistas and perspectives, I knew needed to stay grounded and connected to myself while being respectful of my wallet. The result: I came up with these soul-wise and money-smart practices that helped me go the miles with relaxation in my heart and a smile on my face:

• Hour Plus – Add an additional hour to anything you plan to do. We forget that our bodies and minds are synchronized to work/life at home pace and it is only natural (albeit not at all optimal) to automatically persist at that pace even when unnecessary. By adding time you force yourself to find still moments in which you can not only transition peacefully from one activity to the next, but allow for a greater level of awareness of whatever may be present where you are.
• Home Rules – Give a little thought to the practices that keep you grounded at home and be sure to “bring” them along with you. Whether it is a 6PM time out after a full day or an early morning meditation session before heading into the day, remain loyal to those practices. Consistency with your “mastery” practices will clear the travel clutter and allow you greater clarity and enjoyment in your new environs.
• Intelligent Flexibility – Experiencing new cultures is rife with culinary temptations. All the more reason to be attentive to intelligent choice-making. If you know red wine gives you a headache, don’t let the local customs sway you into a migraine. Whether it’s eating, drinking or sleeping patterns, identify choice-making moments in which you are trading off self-care for cultural experiences. If you need to set a limit on how many self-care rules you will bend for the sake of new experience each day, do so. Otherwise be sure to check in with your body continually to respond intelligently to its needs.
• Local Flavor – Often our obsession with seeing renowned sites has us moving like cattle through busy tourist areas, allowing little contact with the people who actually live there. This can lead to days upon days of “headtrips” that are mentally exhausting with little interpersonal connection. Instead, ask around and check the internet for information about local clubs for activities that reflect your interests. Sites like meetup.org generally offer both affordable and grounding ways to get off the tourist track and marinate in the flavor of the living culture.
• Camp It – Hit the local grocery store for meal supplies. Once a day you can determine a meal to make for yourself – enjoying it either in your hotel room or in a nice park or other inspiring venue. In addition to getting a taste of how locals live by going to the grocery store, providing your own nourishment is incredibly grounding and can give you powerful sense of both monetary and nutritional control.

Golden moments that resulted from these choices over my trip were ending up at a sing along with 6 middle aged couples from Dublin, holding a baby as mom ran to the bathroom, “room camping” feasting on locally produced goat cheese, Irish soda bread and fresh Irish strawberries while waiting for an early morning downpour to pass. All told, over 16 days, I spent $800 on food and lodging – not much different than I would have to stay at home in NYC. As you embrace this amazing world around us, got any tips for staying grounded?

Be well,

Tevis