I lay in bed, and I can already hear the whispers. The woods beckon me...
Frolicking ferns play under the canopy of trees who've watched our world shift. The distant groan of bears, amplified by the faces of gorgeous rock walls. The gurgle of a river punctuated by the strange and splashing habits of fish. Yes! That is self-care.
Little do I know that my son will develop some fear of car rides mere blinks into the outing, and I will end up with my arm around him like this for the rest of the drive. I'm smashed between two car seats, yet I feel Zen. My biggest concern is the lack of phone signal to sustain me...
I had no idea yet that life had this planned out carefully. Perhaps a forced timeout from the internet, my constant headphones, and all the stories I've started and left uncompleted.
The forest is my happy place. When I need a serotonin boost, I'm known to walk barefoot through the trees, primal and in commune with the abundance around me. Direct dirt contact with your feet is scientifically proven to be beneficial, did you know that? They don't call it grounding for no reason.
It would seem that the mischievous forces that rule my world decided I needed to tune in and zone out. So, I arrived to do so sometime that afternoon. Getting out of the car felt like heaven, until I remembered I was simply at the gates. Sweet release!
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Instead of stopping by our vacation rental first, we dove right into the scenery. I probably needed that more than I knew. Self-care can be sneaky at times. You set the intention, and then it's out there. Part of this for me has always been swimming with the current.
For this reason, I may have to state that I think self-care is often selfish. Naturally, when we seek to recharge our own batteries, we cannot attend to the batteries of others. For me this meant a variety of things during my visit. Chiefly, I was suddenly MIA for all the people I work with. I was under the impression that I would have wi-fi, and assumed I'd be able to attend to my duties.
It's times like this that I remember why I love writing. Curating. Sharing my experiences here. I shouldn't be stressing about that while on vacation though. I took some time to reflect on this. How perhaps being a bit selfish and letting my incomplete tasks drift off on the breeze might actually be just what I needed to be better afterwards. I thought on why I joined Hive in the first place.
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I've been taking a lot of time to grow these days, and part of that is identifying my priorities. I have a habit of biting off more than I should chew oftentimes, then I turn it into the challenge of proving I can. I've learned that the most powerful word when it comes to self-care is NO, but I still struggle to enunciate this single syllable.
It feels selfish to define to someone that although you probably can do whatever it is they are asking of you, you've chosen not to. They knew your capabilities when they asked, and you drew a boundary around them by saying no. Is there anything kinder to yourself than holding your energy as a precious resource?
It started raining soon after we arrived. Outside of worry over my camera, I was simply in the moment. Here I am in all my messy haired glory, my true self.
Allowing yourself to relax means sweeping your mind clean in my world. I stopped counting the things I didn't do before leaving. Forgot the overly dramatic phone call I had received from my estranged mother early in the day. Denote me self-centered or cold, but I refused to give her the piece of me she demanded.
However, if you've read any of my other blogs about her, you probably wouldn't call me those things. She's a real piece of work. Perhaps I should add here that sometimes self-care isn't simply selfish, it can appear quite brutal, even.
What a place to let your worries go! Although I took something like 1200 pictures while enjoying the natural wonders of Hocking Hills, I still haven't pulled them from my 'fancy camera'.
I intend to do so in the coming days, and I am excited to share them with everyone on chain! For now, here is the best shot I took on my cell phone. You can see the thick mist left behind by the flighty rain, coming and going as it pleased. When I look at these gorgeous formations, I am in awe of Mother Nature's artistic skill.
With the fatigue from the trip, I think my son Emory needed some extra love. He wanted to be carried for a while, and thankfully this was a shared duty. It provided some sweet bonding, which I captured these photos of.
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Then it was time to dry off and recoup from the adventures we had in this blessed place. Turns out our rental was pretty sweet too.
As we turned down winding country roads, a bit muddy but ready for the next phase of our day, this beauty came into view.
I missed my muse, my madness... Writing. Yet love isn't expectant, it's understanding. Isn't that a great lesson in self-care too? Giving yourself the gift of empathy as a lover would.
Taking the time to experience the silence, I choose to celebrate that for myself.
I ruminate on the merits of patience, and how I've never really had to recognize them. The US is a fast grab, have all, culture. To want to be online yet find yourself unable is such a first world problem. I laugh, and I cry a bit. I'm frustrated; and it's just me being that way, really.
I do make a mental note to finally pony up and pay for Microsoft Word, however. I can't write in the chaos of the computer's 'notes' feature. Besides, look at this place! It's only me who would be stressing, instead of enjoying staying here, yeah?
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This kitchen pulled me right in. I sure do appreciate a semi-minimalist kitchen! This place had all the gadgets I imagine in the homes of the rich, and none of the clutter. Chefs kiss!
I particularly liked these cozy and functional counter decorations. The ex-bartender in me thinks of a dozen recipes I've like to present on this cute wooden tray. Mojito. I land on how perfect a pitcher of them would be here, served in the little metal glasses.
Of course, I had no advance notice on this fierce desire, and lacked the needed supplies. That didn't mean there wasn't still some drinking going on through!
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I worked in a wine bar for a while, learning about pairing, and most importantly enjoying wine. I laugh at how ill fit this particular union is, thinking of all the guests I've served over the years who wouldn't have had any idea. Sometimes we'd suggest awful pairings to wine snobs when I worked there, this was a sadistic but harmless form of self-care. Cheese and wine are always good.
Yeah, also selfish. These people never knew what they were talking about. It seemed that the more assertively pompous they were about "That trip they took to France", the less knowledgeable they actually were. No one ever called me out on my joke pairings.
Maybe we did it out of need for a comedic act of self-preservation, a sneaky sense of superiority carrying us through the rest of our exchange with the customer... Or maybe we did it for the reason anyone in restaurants does stuff. Because it's a ruthless environment, one which more thought experiments should be conducted in.
Hold my beer Stanford Prison Experiment!
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Thinking on it now, I have to question if enjoying alcohol is self-care or not, and if so, what variety? Certainly not all self-care is rooted in selfishness. I suppose it can also be social. There's nothing like having a few drinks with a group of friends, laughing and releasing the tension you brought through the door with you. In moderation, I'd call it downright healthy.
That is what the act of mindfully caring for yourself is centered on after all; no matter how you do it. For some a walk in the woods when it's hot and raining would be terrible. For me, observing any sort of strict diet would be the same. I love myself by drinking 15 cups of coffee a day; damn the consequences. That's my mental health crutch!
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The one major downside to this rental was the well water. If you turned on the sink, you were met with the pungent smell of rotten eggs. I'm not going to lie, I didn't shower for the few days I was there. Instead, I washed up quickly with distilled water, and then hopped into this lovely hot tub as often as I could.
It has fancy lights?! Shut the front door. Listen, this probably doesn't surprise plenty of people, but I am no jacuzzi expert. I watched the array of constantly changing colors the lights produced and found it quite enchanting.
Never squandering a chance to have some child-like sense of wonder, I had to take the photographs above to remember this joy. As vacations tend to go, you're leaving with only memories before you know it. Thea wistfully stared at the hot tub as we departed, "Goodbye, I'll miss you."
Two stars- close the listing down.
One star- Put the host in jail immediately!
Heh, that's one way to remind people not to be so darn serious.
Well, as usual I've written a few hundred more words than I meant to. Grindan habits die hard (or never). Thanks for the awesome Weekend Engagement prompt of self-care! Cheers!
A family trip out to nature is a great experience and memory maker. You'll always have this post and the pics to remind you of this pleasant outing filled with the wonder of nature and opportunities for self care. And the kids will have fun remembering all this in the future. I'm glad you all had a nice time on this trip! :)
!LADY
!PIZZA
Hey Kenny! Totally agree with this:
When we think of the tough moments... well, those are all grand memories for a kid. We had a rough start, but it was lovely overall. I have so much to write from watching the two of them take in the new form of nature!! I think are were all equally inspired and happy now haha. Thank you for the awesome comment, as always 🤗.
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Great to go off grid, I do that several times a year. Good for the kiddos.
!PIMP
!LUV
!PIZZA
You must be killin' it out here!
@enginewitty just slapped you with 10.000 PIMP, @grindan.
You earned 10.000 PIMP for the strong hand.
They're getting a workout and slapped 3/4 possible people today.
Read about some PIMP Shit or Look for the PIMP District
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoWow! What can I say, but "I wish I was there". 😍
I think it would have been wonderful to have you along too, you'd have been a great hiking buddy. ❤️🤗
!PIMP
You must be killin' it out here!
@tattoodjay just slapped you with 5.000 PIMP, @grindan.
You earned 5.000 PIMP for the strong hand.
They're getting a workout and slapped 2/3 possible people today.
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Wow, splendid, everything. Your words, your attitude, the photos, nature, the cottage, ...
I will need to reread your article again and slowly to soak it all in. Thank you!
@tipu curate
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment! Knowing someone read my post a second time is like... I can't even describe it; other than to say it is the whole reason I write. 💚 You've put a huge smile on my face!
You are welcome !LOLZ
Yes, grounding invigorates and rejuvenates, barefooting is a direct connection between soil and soul.
Self-care isn't selfish. You need to take care of yourself to be able to help others.
We are learning how to say no all our life, and we don't really learn it.
Alcohol is a drug. OK, a soft one. Still, it temporarily alters your brain, the way you try to think and act, the way you see yourself. It gives you a feeling of false freedom and strength. Sort of.
That said, I am off for a !BEER :)
Sulphur in the water? Or just iron? Healthy and beneficial in any way, surely.
Take care.
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Damn that looks like a nice spot! Fruit and cheese...uhhh, yes please :D
!PIMP
Hey Summer!! All we were missing was some fresh baked bread I think, but I sure wasn't baking on vacation 😂
Thanks for popping by homie! 💚 !PIZZA !PIMP
You must be killin' it out here!
@grindan just slapped you with 1.000 PIMP, @summertooth.
You earned 1.000 PIMP for the strong hand.
They're getting a workout and slapped 1/1 possible people today.
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You must be killin' it out here!
@summertooth just slapped you with 5.000 PIMP, @grindan.
You earned 5.000 PIMP for the strong hand.
They're getting a workout and slapped 2/3 possible people today.
Read about some PIMP Shit or Look for the PIMP District
Both spending time in nature and having nature actively part of our lives represent such an important thing for every human being. Too bad very few understand this aspect and there are a lot of idiots polluting nature in all forms..
YES! We always bring a bag to pick up trash if we can. A small gesture when you think of all the harm consumption can cause, but it's often the best we can do I guess. It's sad to see how even when it is such an easy thing to be mindful of, so many leave it behind. Nature is our home, I wish more took the time to connect with it. Thank you for the beautiful comment! 💚
#HITO :)
Hike in, trash out
Wow, this is really inspiring! Your deep connection with nature and the wisdom you have gained on this journey. It's a great reminder of the importance of self-care and setting boundaries to prioritize our well-being. Thanks for sharing this heartfelt and thought-provoking adventure! 🌿🍃🌲
Shucks, thank you for taking the time to read, and for leaving this great comment! It makes me smile to know I could share a dose of inspiration! 😍💚
🙏🏻💕💕
I'm just wowed I think. It's like my very own Pinterest dream house come to life. I was beginning to think those houses were designed by bots but it's obviously not so. Apart from the bad well water, I could literally live here forever. Soaking up all that quiet and allowing the warmth of being surrounded by nature make my muse run free!💜🌺
Ahhhh Tessa!! I could so see your vibe in harmony with this house. My wish would be for you to get the 100k AND the house in the giving up coffee scenario from Cinnamon Cup Coffee! 😂🤗 It was definitely a place I could drink tea or hot cocoa in permanently!
Thanks for the awesome comment 💚😍
Everything I see and read in your lines makes me want to go on vacation like this and reminds me of the time we went to celebrate my grandmother's birthday in Colonia Tovar, a beautiful place in a neighboring state, which was really two days of total relaxation.
Wow I looked up Colonia Tovar, and what a gorgeous place!! 😍 I cannot think of a more perfect location to celebrate the cornerstone of any family; grandmothers are magical people almost 100% of the time I think! Thank you for taking me on a little trip in return by giving me this beautiful place to explore a bit virtually, and for the awesome comment!
Great post! I appreciate you for teaching your child to love nature at a young age. Nowadays, most parents would resort to technology to babysit their children and most kids now live in the comfort of technological unreality. Keep up the great work 👍 !PGM
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Thank you so much for that! I think nature is the best teacher, and I have so many fond memories of growing up in a more nature focused way myself. I think that in the convivence of technology, we cheat ourselves and our children out of valuable experiences!
Nothing beats nature and it's ambience. You must have had a therapeutic feeling connecting yourself with your happy place, the forest !
Absolutely! I'd live in the woods if I could, and hopefully someday soon I will! There's no better therapy than nature if you ask me. 😁 Thanks for the kind comment!
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Wow, what an amazing place, the weather and the environment must be very good, I love places like this with that view 👏👏👏
Thank you so much for the kind comment! 😁
A trip becomes perfect when nature is with you, there is greenery all around and your loved ones are with you.
I could not agree more! Thank you for stopping by and commenting 😁
What an amazing place! Nature and the buildings make it a destination one would love to visit. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for taking the time to leave me this nice comment— I already miss the woods haha! 😁
Lovely interior on the kitchen, is that a vacation house or holiday accommodation? I heard such accomodations always have the best interiors inside .
I guess you had a lovely weekend seeing the view from the rocks what a nature to behold
Technically it could be either, much like a hotel it was pay-per-day. I saw that they did offer a deal on extended stays, however, which was very cool to see. Thank you for your kind comment! 😁
Ohhh i see no wonder the great struture. Oh and thank you for thanking me
Honestly family trips are the best, the experience tends to feel different and it creates more bonding☺️☺️ I am glad you had fun😊
I totally agree! My kids are always their truest selves in nature, and it helps me to get to know them in new ways, express myself to them in new ways... 110% a unique bonding experience! Thank you for leaving me this awesome comment!
You’re welcome ☺️☺️
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