Me, Dan and Ernie went on an amazing mini-vacation in Catskills at the end of March. We found a sweet cabin in the mountains on Airbnb.com. It felt so great to be in the woods for a bit, away from all the noise and distractions of the city. To make it better, we didn’t have Internet or phone service for the most part. These days it’s really difficult to find an excuse to take a break from all the technology, social media and checking your phone every few minutes. We really got to appreciate the awesome views without Instagramming them (well, for the most part!). Most of our time was spent taking long walks in the woods, finding moss and mushrooms (Dan is so much more of an expert on both than me!), exploring random train tracks, making delicious meals (with lots of bacon!), drinking smoky tea, reading books on insects, sitting by the fireplace and dreaming of one day living in a cabin in the woods. Ernie had multiple adventures every day running around and sniffing things and digging holes in the ground. He even killed a woodchuck! It was completely unexpected and happened before we even had a chance to stop him. Even Ernie seemed a bit confused by the experience. But as it turned out, the woodchuck destroyed the gardens of the people who lived around there and Ernie actually became their hero.
Somehow the three days we spent in the Catskills seemed like at least a week. I loved the way the days went by slowly, with plenty of time to pause, look at things in a new way, breathe, think and actually experience life the way it’s supposed to be. Without rushing. And take photos. The ones you make in camera and mental ones, too.
On the way back, we listened to David Lynch’s audiobook “Catching the Big Fish.” Somehow it really resonated with me because he talks about meditation and creativity. I felt refreshed and inspired. It was a perfect end of our trip. It’s great to be back and I’m looking forward to spring!