a few vacation thoughts
It’s my last morning in Paris, and in the pockets of downtime I’ve been quietly reflecting on what this trip has meant to me and my growth as a person over the last couple of years. If you’ve read some of my posts before, perhaps you remember me mentioning that in my 20s I lived for the next vacation. No, really, I did. I’d count down the days until I left and there was a point where I had all of the LAX terminals memorized. Then on my last day of whatever trip I was on, I’d go online and brainstorm ideas for the next vacation. And that’s how I lived for many years.
People called me lucky. They’d like my posts and my instagram comments were filled with admiring words. And at that time, it was the validation I desperately sought. No one knew the overwhelming dread I’d be filled with as I prepared to make my way back home. While I had people in my life that I loved, I was living a life on autopilot, and really just floating through from one day to the next. I felt so stuck.
Fast forward to now. My sisters and I booked this trip four weeks in advance. There was no time for a countdown, and my days were filled with the anticipation of releasing my book into the world. I love the life I’ve built, so much so that I kept forgetting that I was about to go on vacation. I mean, what a privilege. These are the moments that I often share with my friend Drew; it’s easy to get suctioned into comparing our lives to others, that we forget that we are currently living the type of life that people we know can only hope for.
So I say all this to say, that comparison truly is the thief of joy. I know I’ve shared this in a recent post, but it’s a thought that must be repeated over and over again for us to truly grasp it (saying this for myself too). As much as I’m gushing about how fortunate I am, I constantly have to redirect my thinking to choose gratitude over lack. There are days where it’s really hard, and I have to rely on God to remind me of the blessing of my season. The truth is, the things I desire may come at the cost of surrendering aspects of the life I have now. But that’s a conversation for another time.
For now, let this be a reminder to enjoy the treasure of today. And if you’re living a life you’re not content with, change begins with a single decision to do something different from what you’ve done before.
xoxo,
Lizzy