Learning to go with the flow…..

This afternoon I got back from my first (but hopefully not last) holiday of the year. I’ve come back to England with so many Greek goodies, a body full of mosquito bites, an urge to put toilet paper in the bin and the same amount of tiredness that I left with.

I had visions of my holiday not only been an escape away from the daily grind but a chance to totally unwind, de-stress, catch up on sleeping and getting stuck into a book.

I didn’t sleep much and of the two books and a magazine that I took with me, I only read a few articles from the latter.

But……I had a fantastic time. When things don’t usually go to plan, my initial response is to stress then try and make it right immediately. I think the magical Island of Ikaria, where the locals are so relaxed – they’re horizontal, made me chill out and go with the flow.

I dropped the guilt and instead had a break from my life, from:

• fretting about not writing every day
• worrying about what my next step is on my writing path
• meditating and reading
• going crazy about my future
• this blog and wondering how I was going to build up my followers

I just let it all go and I became part of the Island. There’s a reason why Ikaria is one of the five ‘blue zones’ in the world {places where people live longer}.

Standing at the corner of a dusty road, we hitchhiked back to our friend’s village after a day at the beach. I left my angst at the door as I was fed by my friend’s Ikarian in-laws, exchanging smiles and nods instead of worrying about the language barrier. I enjoyed the wind in my face and the thrill of riding the back of a moped across winding narrow roads during a tour of some of the island.

The holiday has been a much needed reminder to stop loading myself with so many ‘must do’s’ and ‘expectations’.

It also gave me the much needed nudge in the direction of booking a solo holiday where I can read, write, meditate and do other activities that I’ve been longing for. The thought of a solo holiday fills me with fear, even though I have travelled on my own before. I’m sure it’s just like riding a bike and once I set off, I’ll remember how much I enjoy it.

I have two nights to catch up on sleep before I go back to work and I’ve decided to bring a bit of Ikaria into my work life and not fret too much as the work piles up.

Going with the flow is so much easier than struggling against the tide so it’s really a no brainer.

I’ll keep you posted on where I decide to go on my solo jaunt.

Emma x

If you’ve liked this or any other of my posts, please feel free to like, share or comment 🙂