The ART of Relaxation

When I think of spring break, I usually think of vacation time. Usually though, we don't go anywhere. If anyone has tried to travel during spring break, they've discovered how that's the same thing everyone else is doing, especially if it involves a warmer climate -- like beaches. Since a crowd cuts down the relaxation, that doesn't work very well.

This year we're doing some much needed remodeling on our home, which involves refinishing the floor in the front room. We figured we were going to want to clear out of the house for at least three days, so that involved actually going somewhere.

Since we're like most of the nation right now with not a lot of loose change, it involved "who can we bug to stay at their fancy condo??" Grin. You see, we are lucky enough to have relations who have a condo in Deer Valley. For those of you in the know, Deer Valley is a nice secluded little valley behind Park City. It's quiet, and calm, and gorgeous.

Fortunately, my sister said yes! So, we are planning on hiding out for a couple of days.

Now, if it were my mother-in-law, she would go stir crazy. She would want to have every day with something planned. She isn't thrilled with doing jigsaw puzzles and reading books or watching movies, munching on goodies and generally lazing around. That's not her idea of a vacation.

That's where we get into a discussion. There are Vacations, and then there are Trips. A trip is where you have locations and activities planned. You take a trip to see Yellowstone National Park. You take a trip to tour Zions National Park. A trip is going to the Grand Canyon and hiking down the trails or riding a burrow all the way to the bottom.

In our view, Vacations are for RELAXING. Did you know there was an art to relaxing? There is! One has to determine what that is for each individual, but for my family, it's easy. One of our favorite places to relax is Fish Lake.



This place is perfect for relaxing. If you like to fish, you can do that to your hearts content (actually catching something is optional). If you would rather relax in a cabin or tent, that's the best prescription -- at least in our view.

My sister has a cabin down there that's to die for, and when we go, we have no intention of doing anything. We go for walks, we do puzzles, we play games, sometimes I paint, the kids play Foosball until we want to toss the game outside, and we generally laze around and soak up the non-electric silence.

It's Heaven on earth.

What is your idea of relaxation? I've discovered there can be many ways to relax. Most of which can be done in your own home. If you like to take bubble baths, that's a great way to relax. Like to read? Curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa and tell the children to leave you alone for an hour. (Doesn't always work, but it's worth a try.) Finding a way to relax with children can be a challenge, especially if they are small children.

The best way I found was to get them to bed early and have a romantic relaxing dinner with my hubby. I remember one time I set up the wading pool in the back yard, found some ocean/beach sounds, lit some candles and fixed dinner outside. We relaxed in the pool with our dinner and it was a wonderful evening.

This past week has been extremely stressful for me at my work. As a result, the subject of relaxation has largely occupied my brain. I'm sure many of you can relate. We live in stressful times. How we handle that stress, and how we are able to relax, is very important in our relationships.

Chocolate is a great start!

I'd love to hear about your favorite way to relax.

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