I hear the ocean. I smell it. I see it. I’m in a beach front condo in North Myrtle Beach. The wall décor reminds me that “Life is a beach,” “Our house rules are relax, relax, relax” and “If you are lucky enough to be at the beach, you are lucky enough.”
Why do we need a vacation to feel happy and to relax? Do we get happier while on vacation?
According to a study done in Holland and quoted by the New York Times in 2010, vacations do make us happy while we plan and anticipate them. But we don’t stay happy. Even those who said their vacation was “very relaxing” share that, two weeks after they come home, their happiness level drops down.
It could be that lots of work is piled up as they return home. Or, simply, there is something wrong with the equation which tries to tell us that vacations = happiness.
What I know for sure is that, as Ann Voskamp expresses so poignantly in her One Thousand Gifts devotional, the only place you need to see before you die is the place where you can see God. And that can happen every day, right where you are, doing laundry, teaching the kids, chauffeuring them to music lessons, and preparing a meal.
In his quaint English, Einstein used to say, “I will a little tink.” One can hear the German word order in his sentence. Also, his German accent. If we but “a little tink” ourselves, we will realize that vacations, while they have their place in a balanced life, are not the solution to our hum-drum existence.
Thankfulness for the little things and for the big things in our lives – our every day lives – gives us the right perspective and joy.
Life is a beach but you don’t have to be at the beach to experience that.
Adriana,
I don’t believe it!!! I am in a condo at Myrtle Beach right now as well!!!
Can you hear the waves pounding upon the shore as I make a few comments to you?
I love the mountains back in Gatlinburg too, but the sounds, smells, tastes, feels, and sights of the ocean call to me–my inner soul! I think it stems from the fact that When I was a baby, my front yard was the beach at Lake Michigan. Mom and I would stay out there on the beach all day while Dad worked. As a baby, who is constantly using all 5 senses, I connected with my surroundings. I absorbed them…they became part of my very fiber! I feel whole again–so many memories of returning to my Granny’s home on Lake Michigan throughout my life.
Hope you enjoy your stay…pause for 7 minutes…focus on your 5 senses and make note of what message each one brings to you…how each sense makes you part of the present moment! Fun chatting with you…Sue
Hi Sue,
So much fun! Yes, babies register everything. I think it’s so special that you are aware of your connection with the sea. We are back in Gatlinburg, but we enjoyed our vacation very, very much. I visited NMB again via webcam on their Chamber of Commerce website. 🙂 Today. 🙂