Everyone Needs a Break

I didn't post last week. I was on vacation. I timed my vacation to coincide with the school district's mid-Winter break. I didn't do anything fancy, but I was able to spend time with family and friends. Just by unplugging (no classes, no blog posts, no LinkedIn) I was able to really relax and fall into unique experiences. We went to the zoo with a friend who used to work there and was able to give us amazing insight into the animals and their behavior; afterwards we had lunch in a great little spot and wandered through the most amazing store in the world: Archie McPhee. The kids and I took the light rail and then a streetcar to get to the new location of the Museum of History and Industry it took 3 times as long to travel this way but we had TIME together. We pulled out rubber stamps and stickers and pens and journaled in the evening about our days. We talked. We played. Downtime is important for everyone. Are you able to relax and rest and unplug when your vacation hits? Or do you feel like it will negatively affect you at work if you don't check in everyday and respond to emails immediately? Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is say, "I'm completely unplugging, I'm not answering work emails or texts this week."