a real break

Today was my fourth day in a row off.  Four days without work.  This is the most time I’ve had off since our honeymoon and it has been glorious.  In addition to spending a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family, we cut down a Christmas tree, got the house decorated and relaxed our little butts off.

We planned Christmas gifts and went to a book store for a few hours.  We ordered Chinese food for the first time in 2 years.  We enjoyed each other’s company.  We watched the yule log just because we can.  I picked up a book that I had set down a month ago and started reading it again.

I love having time off.

Weekends seem to fly by and I tend to feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time over the weekend.  I spend time relaxing and then, by the time I’m relaxed, I realize that there were 35 things that I wanted to accomplish over the weekend, maybe 10 of which I’ve completed.  With a four day break I actually did everything I’d hoped to do.  I feel productive and I feel refreshed.

It’s been a real break and I know that the time between now and my next break (Christmas) will fly because it will be full of holiday parties, time with friends, family get-togethers and holiday prep.  I love this time of the year and everything that comes with it.  December couldn’t be here soon enough.

My hope for this holiday season is that I can remember to take the time to really enjoy it.  Spend time with family and friends and be in the moment, not just thinking ahead to the next party, meal or item on the to-do list.  I want to focus on the things I love – the warmth of family, the grace of the season and the story behind it and the joy that is shared all around.

Maybe, with some effort, the whole month will feel like a long weekend.

How are you kicking off the holiday season?

Were you able to take a real Thanksgiving break?

27. November 2011 by kate @ pomelo sunshine
Categories: Holidays, Weekend | Tags: break, long weekend, thanksgiving | 3 comments