By Karen A. Porter
President of Heal My Voice
This was the view from our terrace in Caramany, France. We rented a house for two weeks and it was heaven. The weather was great, the food was incredible, the wine superb and the company magnificent. I must have been exposed to some bad bug on the flight to France because I started with post-nasal drip and a sore throat the third night there. If there is a place to be sick, I would choose France. The codeine cough syrup I needed was available without a prescription. My brother insisted that I was sick because I was not drinking enough to kill the germs. Taking mega doses of vitamin C and homeopathic cold stoppers, I managed to feel up to half day adventures. I read four books and we had several movie nights (I learned that the recordings one makes can be played on all DVD zones while commercial DVD’s are zone specific).
I wrote a chapter about anticipating travel in the book Live Your Life With Attitude (Chapter inserted at the bottom of this blog called Anticipation) Interestingly enough, I need to follow my own advice AFTER the trip. Re-entry has been slow. The flight home worsened my cough and the remnants of whatever it was have settled in my throat, giving me a croaky cracking voice. Yes, I realize the irony that as President of the Board of Heal My Voice, I am needing to heal my voice.
So this first week back has been low key. No car- older son has been given my car since he now has a full time job that he did not have when we left. Not a big deal since I needed to stay inside to recuperate. I redid the e-book version of ‘Attitude’ so there is a table of contents that links to each section. I cooked and did some binge watching to catch up on TV series.
One of the joys of travel is bringing things home. I used a bouquet garni in a bean soup, opened the ‘black gold’ coffee and have shared a couple olive oil soaps. I will keep and use at least one of the soaps and we will eventually enjoy some very fine wine. Savor, not save. Enjoy where I am, right?
There will be more trips, other destinations. The adventure, however, is in the moment.
Anticipation
Vacations can be fabulous, amazing, and rejuvenating. They can also be stress-filled, over planned and exhausting. Sometimes the anticipation of a getaway is enough to get you through a rough patch. Maybe the trick is to always have something you are happily awaiting. Having a coffee exactly the way you love it, taking a cool shower during a hot day or using the lemon verbena soap you have been saving can feel delightfully luxurious. Stop SAVING and begin SAVORING. Think of how many things you could look forward to and how many ways you can treat yourself to that restorative feeling of a getaway.
Things I have saved for the future…….
Things I have saved that I would enjoy using now…..
Things I can do differently to make them feel special……
Live Your Life With Attitude is an e-book available on Amazon
Karen A Porter is the author of Live Your Life With Attitude and Live Your Life With Attitude Workbook/Journal, available on Amazon in print and e-book version. Currently the President of the Board of the non-profit organization Heal My Voice, Karen is a contributing author to all the US HMV books. Karen co-authored Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman’s Guide to Life. Karen is an ordained Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking for the Beloved Community. She practices Sound Massage and leads healing meditations using Tibetan Singing Bowls. Karen is a certified Level 1 Qi Gong Instructor and a Certified Sounds Methods Therapist through the American Institute SMT.
To learn more about Karen’s work or to contact her, visit www.mamaporter.com
Anticipation
Vacations can be fabulous, amazing, and rejuvenating. They can also be stress-filled, over planned and exhausting. Sometimes the anticipation of a getaway is enough to get you through a rough patch. Maybe the trick is to always have something you are happily awaiting. Having a coffee exactly the way you love it, taking a cool shower during a hot day or using the lemon verbena soap you have been saving can feel delightfully luxurious. Stop SAVING and begin SAVORING. Think of how many things you could look forward to and how many ways you can treat yourself to that restorative feeling of a getaway.
Things I have saved for the future…….
Things I have saved that I would enjoy using now…..
Things I can do differently to make them feel special……
3. Create a system to see if you are on track
