Learning Vacation

It was July, just past my one-year anniversary at my company. I haven’t booked an extended vacation yet but I thought I should. I told my manager that I was taking the first two weeks of September off.

August comes around and I’ve got less than 2 weeks to go before my vacation but I had nothing planned other than going home to Toronto. I sat down for a bit and thought of what I wanted to spend my vacation on. I felt pressure to travel. Traveling is difficult when you’re working full-time and I caught the travel bug last year and I knew I wanted more. I decided on Mexico, I’ve always wanted to go and I thought this would be a good time to visit. But I hesitated to book the ticket, I felt like I planned this vacation out of obligation.

But this Summer, I was having a blast learning about fashion. After work, I’m excited to read more, learn more, and visit some stores. I’ve had a few nights when I had trouble falling asleep because I had many ideas and questions I wanted to explore about fashion.

I decided to forgo traveling and stay in Toronto and pursue my curiosity. This is ultimately regenerative for me and what makes me feel alive. This reminds me of the Semester at a Library, where I took a semester off school to focus on reading and writing. I didn’t travel at all, I just stayed at home, but I felt invigorated because I was pursuing my curiosity. I think of this vacation as a mini-sabbatical. And while it’s coming to an end, it’s a helpful reminder of what keeps me alive, what my ideal lifestyle looks like, and what I’m working towards.