YOU CAN’T FILL FROM AN EMPTY CUP: By Chris Bishop
“That’s right. People take vacations all of the time. Even when they can’t strictly afford it.”—Stephen King, Bag of Bones
As for many people, 2020 has been a strange and challenging year for me. I find myself in a terrifying and wonderful transition period. I’ll share the story of what led to my six-month sabbatical somewhere in the middle of my life in a different post. However, it has proven to be a nice reset and an opportunity to re-examine my life’s purpose and direction.
I am intending to re-enter the full-time workforce soon. Although I am currently living off of savings, I am also anticipating not having paid time off nor money for travel for at least a year after I secure a full-time position.
I suspect that many people would consider planning a nice vacation when one is living off of savings as not wise. And they are not wrong. But as Mike Noonan, the protagonist in Stephen King’s Bag of Bones observed, getting away has enough value that many people choose to do it even when they do not really have sufficient resources.
As is the case for most people I know, 2020 had left me physically and emotionally exhausted. I had two movement-changing injuries, a career that came crashing to the ground and I felt grave disappointment and heartache from not having support from some people I had counted on. I really felt a need to unplug. And my girlfriend, Lety, and I were new enough in our relationship that this would be a first trip for us.
Los Cabos in Baja California Sur was new territory for both Lety and me, and it was high on our wish lists. That was our destination of choice for this trip. It would not be exactly accurate to say that we got free plane tickets. But I pay all of my bills with a Southwest Airlines credit card, and I had enough points in that account to easily cover our tickets. And we found rental condos on VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) for less than $50 per day. In addition, Lety had a nephew in Cabo San Lucas who helped us get local prices on several outings. Most of our financial investment in this trip went into excursions.
The trip was amazing. Los Cabos is sandwiched between the majestic Sea of Cortez and the desert. We got a lot of sun and visited some gorgeous beaches. We also had a lot of adventure –to include ziplining, snorkeling with sea lion pups and a guided camel ride in the desert. We got a lot of sleep, ate amazing food and enjoyed the wildlife viewing immensely. Our time together was great –and great for us. We learned a lot about each other and about us as a couple and left the trip even stronger than when we had began.
I was inspired, and my cup was overfilled again.
Our trip leaves me postured to begin my new professional chapter fresh again. Rest and inspiration have also helped me to see many of the blessings that 2020 brought as well –a wonderful relationship, a new dog, support from my close friends and families in the face of a very sudden and final professional transition and the opportunity to dig deeper into my yoga practice and practice of teaching yoga through training and applying new skills. I am now in a much better position to be of service to others.
That’s right. People take vacations all of the time. Even when they can’t strictly afford it.
