What I Learned on My Weekend Away

I’ve talked about taking time off for yourself as a business owner before – but most of it has been a lot of talk – a lot of knowing that I need to practice what I preach.  Some of it has been my friends and husband in my ear telling me to work a little less.  I love my business and what I do so much, and truthfully have a little “business owner’s anxiety of stepping away”, that I’ve always talked myself out of it.  The Blue Ridge Mountains made the perfect getaway this past weekend.

When this spur of the moment trip to the mountains came up, I knew I had to go.  I wanted to see the fall leaves (my favorite Saves the Day lyric is “Don’t you love those leaves? Don’t you wish the orange stayed forever?”). I wanted to see all these stars that I was told were out beyond the city lights.  I wanted to unplug my life for two short nights and just have fun with two of my favorite people.

That’s exactly what I did, and here’s what I learned:

1. I rely a little too heavily on my phone.  I got locked out of it for 24 hours (that’s what happens when your friend steals your phone because you’re checking email and changes your passcode).  You know how iPhones will show you your notifications on the home screen but nothing else? I found myself scrolling through the home screen like I could do anything about it more than once.  It was weirdly freeing, too, though, to not be able to obsess over social media (says the social media expert) for just a few days and step away.
2. I am horrifically out of shape.  Like, on another level out of shape.  I got lapped on a hike by a pregnant woman and a few elderly people.  There was a man who hiked uphill with a stroller easier than I did by myself.  It was not okay.  What I also learned on that hike, though, is that I’ll really never give up.  It was about a mile and a half up hill (which isn’t much to a lot of people, I know), and there were multiple times where I thought my calf muscles were quite literally going to pop out of my legs, but I wanted to see the top of Spy Rock.  When I got there, I climbed it, and I’m glad I did (see the photo above).
3. Relaxing doesn’t always mean being lazy and sleeping.  I woke up early the first morning that we were there to watch the sunrise on the old plantation that we were staying on.  It was one of my favorite moments of the trip because everything was so calm and quiet and beautiful.
   
4. I truly don’t think I could’ve asked to have better people in my life.  It’s so important to take time out of your day/life/whatever to go spend with the people who really love you.  There isn’t anything so important in your email that can’t wait a day or two for you to get back.  And there wasn’t.
5. I could lay and look at the stars all night. I would’ve slept out under those stars. It never gets old, it never gets boring.  I’ve always had a thing about the stars, and this weekend just confirmed my love for them.  The endless galaxies, the vastness of the universe beyond us.

I didn’t take a ton of photos. I didn’t stress out about capturing moments (although I did take some iPhone photos just to have in my back pocket).  The memories made were some to last a lifetime.  I may have already started planning my next trip to the mountains, just so I can see the stars the way that I did again.

Oh, yeah.  And this is what happens when you have amazing friends with amazing talents who take the trip with you:

Photo by Dragon Studio, taken in Gordonsville right outside our cabin.