I am in Truro. It is peaceful and beautiful out. After all these years, my routine remains the same.
1. Return to a familiar summer home set back in the woods but close to the beach.
2. Promptly forget what day it is.
3. Promptly forget what time it is.
4. Make a list of all the spiritual cleansing rituals I have in mind.
5. Lose that list shortly after arrival.
6. Bring a list of all the fun things to do between goofing off and sleeping.
7. Complete that list.
8. Do not look at office email....ever.
Perhaps the one part of the vacation ritual that continues to spook me is how I feel for the first two days. Without all the daily responsibilities and distractions of urban life, there is no noise or static between me and my feelings. I find myself face to face with the stress that I function under and it feels like Clorox pumping through my body. It is amazing how out of touch we can become with our true emotional or physical state and then when the tipping point occurs (illness, depression), we're shocked.
I used to laugh at the 70's term "getting in touch with yourself". I'm not laughing so much any more.