When the 9 to 5 routine takes over, it’s easy to become antsy and yearn for adventure. Last week, I found myself dreaming of getting out of the city, escaping for a few hours or a few days, just to reboot before the routine set in again. My bf shared these feelings too, and we knew that the weekend ahead – destined for smog and city commotion – was the perfect time to escape it all.
While a spontaneous trip certainly does the trick for restoring your soul, there are certain things that you can’t leave off the to-do list if you want the trip to be stress-free:
1.Test Drive
Since our tent was in another city, we borrowed a friend of a friend’s tent, who was gracious enough to accommodate our last minute request. You would think our first reaction would be to take it for a test drive, but we just threw it in the car, only to find out that evening, that all pegs and an important pole was missing. It became quite the DIY project to get it semi-functional. (See rope tied to trees and tent at right)
2. Embrace the messy
Us ladies need to get dirty every once and a while, so if my pooch below (read his story here) is any indication, we certainly had our fair share of muddy trails, buggy forests and natural obstacles. It was all part of the adventure, and it just meant we needed extra long showers for all participants upon our return.
3. Keep it simple
You don’t necessarily want to be consumed with logistics when you’re escaping for a short time, so keep it to the essentials. Don’t overpack, and don’t bring a million things you think you’ll need. Keeping things to the bare minimum will allow you more freedom to try new things and break from the routine.
Keep it simple, yes….but don’t forget the wine and coffee.
4. Relax
Travel can be quite exhausting once everything’s packed, you’ve made the trek, you’ve set up camp and you’ve spent the day in the sun…so don’t find yourself returning on Monday with dark circles under your eyes. Your weekend should include enough relaxation to make up for the lack of it throughout the week. Sit back with a book, a glass of wine, lie in a hammock, watch the fire, eat a marshmallow, chat, think, breathe.
Whenever you’re feeling like you need a change, know that a weekend away is easier (and cheaper!) than you’d think. All it takes is a tiny bit of planning. Wherever you’re headed, bring your care-free side and embrace all that comes your way, it may not be exactly what you dreamed, but it’s all in how you look at it. Happy travels!
PS – If you’re curious, we drove to New York State, hiked in the Adirondacks and camped at Cranberry Lake : )
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