Casa Del Sol (House of the Sun) in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. My second trip to Guatemala, 2016.
‘But Justin how do you find time to plan and go on a vacation every day?’ It is very simple to me, I don’t go anywhere and I do only a few things differently. I now take an hour every morning to do things that are not involved with a screen. ‘But that’s not a vacation.’ Isn’t it? Half of most peoples vacation is getting away from obligations, distractions, and stress. This isn’t to say that I don’t take care of my responsibilities, but that I control all my choices AND set proper time aside for everything that must be done for the day, instead of trying to blend the two and accomplishing neither.
Additionally, I begin this vacation by getting proper sleep. This means I move my phone, smartwatch, and laptop out of my room before I prepare for sleep. I have replaced all of those items with an old digital alarm clock that only gives off a soft yellow glow and is set to my preferred radio station, 99.3 WJQ FM, Grand Rapids (I still find it difficult to sleep without music). I find comfort in this consistent simplicity. Every night I get to experience that carefree mindset one would the night before a planned vacation and the excitement of the upcoming moments of relaxation. This idea of distancing oneself from technology to rebuild mental patterns has been expressed to me by several people, but most recently Elizabeth Beeli made this article on the topic.
This is only my second day on vacation. So far it has given me more time to read a devotional book I was given, make a nutritious breakfast, and spend time in thought. This gives me direction and clarity each day which I had far less of otherwise. Even if I were to do absolutely nothing for an hour each morning I’m sure benefits of the noise cancellation from social media, emails, and texts alone would be tremendous.