Hello from the wonderful world of Disney!! Not actually. I'm really writing from my home office that is now a plane ride away from Disney. Same difference, right?
First of all, thanks for all of the love that you guys shared for my last post! I really really appreciate it. I blog because I want to talk openly about things that are sometimes difficult to talk about so that readers in similar situations will know they aren't alone. It's helpful when I'm reminded that I'm not alone either though!
I spent all of last week in Florida, and I had such a lovely time. Peter and I actually drove from Daytona Beach to Orlando during our first night and met up with some friends, then proceeded to spend the Sunday and Monday before last at Disney (Sunday was spent at Magic Kingdom and Monday was spent at Epcot). There is no denying that Disney is truly the most magical place on earth, in my humble opinion. I came prepared too! I had a different Disney-themed shirt for each day (the one in the photo says "I speak fluent Disney"), and I brought my lanyard of Disney trading pins (although at this point, I should really refer to it as my lanyard of Disney trading pins that I don't intend to trade lol). I felt like I was on Cloud 9 for those two days. I was that person acting giddy the entire time, squealing when I spotted certain characters during parts of the two parades we saw, pointing out fun features of all of the rides to Peter, waving to all of the staff...I was the epitome of a kid in a candy store haha. We came at a really good time of year too - the longest wait we had for any given ride was only 25 minutes!! We went on a total of 10 rides in Magic Kingdom - that's not something that ever happens! So for those of you who aren't familiar with Disney World, there are four main parks in total. Magic Kingdom is the one with Cinderella's castle and all of the typical rides associated with Disney (like It's a Small World). Epcot is the park that includes elements about the future and the environment and features pavilions representing several countries around the world. It has less rides, but has a huge assortment of international foods (which Peter and I were more than happy to try). I immediately noticed that there were significantly more adults than children at Epcot. And it was while we were in Epcot that I got to pose with Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie, as shown above. It was bliss!
Once we got back to the Daytona Beach area (and were reunited with my parents and sister again), we really didn't do anything but spend time on the beach (with the exception of certain activities like going out to eat or visiting the Museum of Arts and Sciences or climbing the 203 steps of the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse or hitting the pool or playing mini golf). This trip reminded me of just how important it is to rest. To pause. To enjoy life without the burdens of work that often plague us. And I will tell you that running my own tutoring business is tiring, even if I'm not tutoring a solid 8+ hours a day. I still have to prep for all of my lessons and sometimes travel (though I have more and more online students and less and less in-person students, which is great), and I have to read books alongside some of my students (which is great for a reader like me in theory, but I'm currently reading the Sound and the Fury and it's making my head hurt...). Basically, I too am a busy woman, even if I don't work 9-5. I did a little proofreading for students throughout the vacation, but I put all of my formal lessons on hold, and I really appreciated having time for myself, as well as having time to spend with Peter and my family. With Peter in particular, it was especially nice not having anything BUT time to spend together (since we've learned how precious that is, as you'll have read in my last post). Our society gets so caught up in working and making money and always being on the go, and when I talk to friends and ask how they're doing, a lot of them mention just how tired they are. Rest is definitely necessary for us to re-energize ourselves, to keep us going, to refocus on our priorities. If all I did was work, I could see myself easily forgetting to prioritize my family. There was actually a time before Peter and I were married when Peter would visit me after work and would sometimes have to wait around for me because I was too busy tutoring in the evenings (I didn't have many students at the time, so I was focused on acquiring as many as I could get and didn't limit the hours I worked). That has changed though, thankfully.
Rest reminds us to enjoy the little things in life too. It's hard to do that when you're busy being stressed out. Last Tuesday, I watched my dad fly his kite, the steady rhythm of the ocean waves echoing in the background. Last Wednesday, we enjoyed a KFC picnic lunch on the beach while soaking up the sun. Last Tuesday morning, we had breakfast at Waffle House (a MUST for me whenever I travel south), and I laughed at our young waitress's sense of humor. Rest allows us to relish the moment, to take a break from the busyness of life. And it's okay to take a break!! John Lubbock once said, "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky is by no means a waste of time." There's nothing wrong with taking some time to yourself to enjoy the things that are easily taken for granted.
So this week, I have a suggestion for you: Rest! You don't have to go out of town to rest. I have certainly found other things that help me relax. Reading a book (of my own choosing, not my student's lol), taking a walk through this lovely fall foliage (at least for New England-ers like myself), and taking a nap are some of the simpler things you can do. If you have a bit of a commute to and from work and are unable to do those things during the day, try listening to an audio book, listening to music, catching up with a friend during that time, or praying, which is what I do whenever I'm in the car. I think it's important to find rest during the week, and not just on the weekends. Now go rest! ; )
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