Tuesday, March 21, 2017

#SOL17 How to Turn Go, Go, Go into Slow ... ? 21/31

2017 is the tenth year of the Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers, The goal is to write and post a "slice of life" story every day during the month of March. My seventh graders are also participating in a slimmed down version of the challenge, writing 10 slices during the month.

Slice of Life: How to Turn Go, Go, Go into Slow ... ?


I love to travel. As my blog bio recounts, I have been to several different countries across 5 continents (South America is still on the bucket list) and to 41 of the 50 states (the remaining 9 are not really on my bucket list ... ). I love being new places, seeing new things, and experiencing other cultures.

But I don't know how to rest.


There's so much I want to do that I find myself constantly on the go. My husband is the same way, which can be good, because we both are constantly chomping at the bit to get to the next thing, but it can also be bad, because neither of us is good at letting go or slowing down. (Our honeymoon in Morocco, for example, covered more than 700 miles by car - at an least 3 miles by camel - over just 10 days.)


As a child I had slower vacations. Time at a beach or a cabin by the lake playing card games. But most of those vacations were at destinations where the destination itself (i.e. the beach) held little actual interest for me. They were mainly an excuse to burrow myself into a book.

But now, as a teacher and book blogger, I burrow myself away into books all the time! I don't want to spend my vacation time reading (unless I'm on a plane), because I'd rather be doing something at my destination.

If Lao Tzu is right and "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving," then how do I cultivate that kind of mindset for myself? (The Type A part of me is very intent on the planning and the checklists and the photography shot lists and ... and ... and ... )


(Click here to read my previous Slice of Life Challenge posts.)

7 comments:

  1. What a cool way to spend your honeymoon! I get the desire to do things on vacations; teachers are used to being busy. As long as it works for you, go for it!

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  2. A balance is best for me... there is a certain amount of pleasure in the planning and reading up on stuff to see, i.e, history of a place. I do like to have some lodging reservations in place before we begin, assuring us of some basic conveniences. I definitely do not travel with groups; I do not herd well. :) That's the go it on your own part.

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  3. So I don't know if your title is asking how to slow down, but I just did a yoga class and I love it, to slow my thoughts and ideas, to stop and actually listen to how my body is feeling...just an idea! The best classes always leave me feeling so refreshed!
    Your travels seem so amazing, I'm sure you'll check off every continent!

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion, Michelle. I've tried yoga a few times but never really bought in. Maybe I should give it another go ...

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  4. Bring back fond memories of camels from Egypt. My mother was quite taken with them, especially the big white ones of the "camelry" ~ with a few good camel stories. Seems I'm picking up more memories than usual in the posts I've been reading today.

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    1. Picking up memories sounds like a good pastime to me!

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