Jim and I spent Thanksgiving weekend away in a tiny rustic cabin in Grass Valley. This was the first time taking our 70lb dog with us. It was quite 'cozy' and Hoss thought he should be sleeping with us on the air mattress instead of his dog bed. Getting away, stepping out of the busy world we all live in was good. It brought back a sense of balance and focus. We all are always busy, but it seems like the holiday season takes it over the top.

Here are few things I learned while being away:

1.The world keeps spinning and nothing dramatic happened because I was not there!
2.Not having access to social media is relaxing and centering.
3.Chopping wood and building a fire in a small iron fireplace slowed us down, helped us pay attention and make me all dreamy - just staring at it. It also reminded us that just 100 years ago life was lived very differently.
4.Having 'real' books in my hands to read reminded me to slow down.
5.Being in nature and following the rhythms of day and night gave us more rest.
6.Seeing fall colors, leaves falling, animals preparing for winter reminded me that there are seasons in life and we should take them in.
7.Having time to journal and reflect on the year helped to lay out the new year.
8.Going to a Cornish Christmas event in Grass Valley reminded us of community, fun, and the celebrations of life.

Meeting other campers along the way made me realize how little distance there really is between people if we step out of the crazy world of media. We always enjoy camping and decided that we needed to have a camping trip every quarter in 2023. Time to step out, relax, recharge, recenter. Time to remember what matters! As we head into the Holiday Season, what can we all do to slow down, enjoy the season, not get grumpy and remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place? I want to encourage us all to take some time to step back and rest and enjoy life.