My husband and I live in Atlanta, Ga. This might as well be
Tahiti to the rest of our family which resides in small pockets
scattered around the south of Florida and whom have rarely
ventured far from their comfort zone. Ever since our son was
born, they have made a valiant effort to visit often. This last
time my dad and step-mom decided to visit, I thought that
staying in a family cabin in the northern mountains of
Georgia would be just delightful for us; this way they would
have a lot of one-one-one time with the little and we would
all get a little getaway.
Upon arrival, I immediately knew that this was going to be
quite the vacation – not only was there no WiFi (at all), there
was also no reception of any kind. And, to top all of that off,
the ‘smart’ TV had a horrendous cable connection which
made watching TV impossible and the DVD player made
movies look like they were from the 1950s – black and white
and strangely warped.
Needless to say, I was distressed as I had brought with me,
despite knowing that this was a getaway, a ‘little’ work to be
done. Workaholic, much? Yeap. That’s me.
In that moment I accepted that this was a message from the
Universe and decided to embrace the unexpected with total
non-attachment. Luckily, I had also brought a book with me,
so, I figured that if all else failed my inner work maniac could
at the very least, read.
What I discovered as the hours went by was that this was
perhaps the most fortuitous thing that could’ve happened to
me and to my family.
That night my dad, step-mom and I stayed up playing poker,
21, and war while we drank half a bottle of wine and laughed
until our sides hurt as my baby slept soundly in our upstairs
bedroom. My husband, who arrived later that evening,
poured himself a glass and rocked himself quietly in a
cushioned rocking chair next to a pseudo-tiffany lamp while
he basked in his newest collection – the Game of Thrones
novel.
Throughout the house the feeling was warm, familial, quiet
and romantic. At one point, my husband looked over at me
and said, “Honey, this is how I want to retire.” And, in that
moment I knew that this was how I wanted to live, period.
The rest of our days were just perfect – small trips to local
shops, barbeque, baby laughter, wine and a hot tub. The last
day of our stay as my husband and I soaked in the hot tub,
indulging in some alone time as lovers instead of parents
(for a change) we talked about our dreams, our hopes, our
visions and we laughed and cuddled. It was the first time in
a very long time that we had shared time together in that
way. In that moment I remembered why we fell in love and
why I was so grateful to have chosen him as my life partner
and as the father of my child.
During this time, away from seemingly everything and
disconnected from the constant stream of information and
stimulation we have become accustomed to, I became full of
so many ideas for clearing up the clutter in my home and
moving forward in my business. I felt overflowing with
creativity and joy – and then it hit me…
I felt restored.
For a few weeks prior to this trip I felt that I was losing the
joy in a lot of my life, particularly in my marriage and in my
home life in general. After a few days in that small and
remote cabin my appreciation for my partnership, my
parents, and my life overall blossomed tremendously. And
THAT is the magic of consciously unplugging.
I learned the value of truly taking a break – a real one that
does not involve a ‘little’ work. The value of choosing to
unplug and allow the mind and the spirit to just explore itself
surrounded by green things, sunshine and, of course, wine. I
learned that laughter cures almost all woes and whatever is
left will surely be taken care of by 20 minutes in a hot tub. I
learned that rainstorms in the woods sound absolutely
terrifying, but as long as our AC doesn’t go out, it’s also the
most relaxing symphony ever.
And, above all, I learned that I wanted to live a life where
unplugging was consistently scheduled into our journey. A
life where we could take our family into a quiet space and
enjoy each other simply and honestly. The spirit needs
restoration, needs reflection, and needs warmth of familial
love. The more time dedicated to all of these, the more
restitution in every area of our lives.
Message received. Message delivered.
Sincerely, Shakti. ❤
Shakti Rios 