Rest and Relaxation

I just returned from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. As mentioned in a previous post, it’s hot in Austin in the summer and I was looking to take a break from the heat this summer. Plus, Washington was one of the last 6 states I had left to visit. So Seattle seemed to fit the bill in more ways than one.

My hubby and I flew into Seattle and spend two nights downtown, exploring and meeting with some former Ohioans who now live in Seattle. Then, we got a car and drove 2.5 hours to Mount Rainier National Park. We spent two and a half days in the park, hiking and taking in the amazing scenery. At night, we retired to our cabin in the woods to listen to the sounds of what might have been Bigfoot and relax in the hot tub. Then, we drove back to downtown Seattle for the final two nights. My husband flew home. I jumped on an Amtrak train from Seattle to Chicago – two days and two nights on board in a roomette. During the trip, I got to get out in Montana and North Dakota, effectively crossing two additional states off my bucket list. Then, I finally flew home to enjoy the weekend before heading back to work today.

The trip was a sorely needed time for me to recharge. While we did quite a bit of physical activity – exploring, hiking, walking – I was surprisingly rested. I was able to completely disconnect from work and really just enjoy every moment (except when we realized that somehow the camera went missing during a hike and all of my photos from the last year were gone). I think it’s important that no matter how you get to that state of enjoying every moment – traveling, spending time with loved ones, engaging in a beloved hobby, whatever – that we make time for it, that we make it a priority. Not just those of us dealing with melanoma, but all of us. We spend far too much time and effort on activities that don’t matter – checking our phones, watching mindless TV, you get the picture – and maybe not enough time on just soaking up every second.