What a whirlwind these past few weeks have been. My wife, Amstel (our beagle), and I loaded up our luggage in our Subaru Forester for a road trip to Ohio to visit my family. I learned long ago that the visits home are never long enough. There’s no real way to make up for all the years we’ve lived apart but what we can do is enjoy the time we have together, and we certainly did do that.
During this visit I tried to unplug from my tech and was pretty successful at it. I didn’t write one word while we were on the road. I even traded my Apple watch for my old Seiko diver watch. I was amazed at how much more conscious I became after the first few days.
We were walking Amstel one evening as the sun was setting. The fragrance of the grass sparked a litany of memories from playing outside as a child in the golden light of dusk. I realized how much different the grass in Ohio smells from the grass in Minnesota. It’s sweeter, kind of like sage, more herbaceous. Chances are I would’ve missed this realization if I was thinking about a writing project or distracted by my Apple watch notifications.
Now that the trip is done I feel refreshed and have this burning desire to create so it’s back to work. There's no shortage of things to do. It's nice to get home to our own space, a familiar bed and a bit of a routine. The next adventure is never too far away so now it's time to start planning for it. : )
Following is a slideshow of pictures from our trip. I hope you enjoy them!
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Eric
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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It's really important to take a break sometimes and unwind. Figure yourself out again. Often, too much tech clouds our mind and makes us lose focus of what's important.
Looks like you had fun :)
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You can say that again. I haven't truly unplugged since I left my day job in 2017. It's been an adjustment to get used to working remotely and on several things at once. I really like it thought and couldn't imagine going back to a desk job now. You just have to learn to be flexible, especially working across different time zones.
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It is always good to disconnect from the world of work and routine to take a break and live the present moment without major worries. Enjoy the family, the home environment and treasure beautiful memories of those meetings. I'm glad it has been a wonderful time for you, @ericvancewalton.
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The way you notice the grass smell in Minnesota and Ohio? That much have been really amazing, I see you've spent time in these two places to know that, definitely it's amazing to see the slide images what a great time you had really.
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Noticing details like the difference in smell of Ohio and Minnesota grass... that is definitely being present in the moment! Glad you enjoyed your trip and time "away"... 🙂
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Yes, it was really something to have that realization. Thanks @geke!
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Good photos . Real and good. It is always useful to visit your home where the best years have passed. When you are at home, you find harmony with yourself.
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@ericvancewalton, When we go for the trips then we miss something like social media and other tech aspects but, it's important to stay away from it to enjoy the pure life. Stay blessed brother.
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Trip seems like super fun that was great to see and enjoy the moments :D
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Yes, I enjoyed your video, sir. We really need a walk to refresh our minds that have been busy at work. And visiting a parent's place is the right choice. Your dog is very cute, sir. Have a nice day.
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Nothing to do with your post, but I see you are a fiction author. I had a crack at it recently and it's the hardest thing I have ever done.
Writing stuff out of my head based on true life, it flows.. but not imagination. It's really not easy.
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Fiction is only real life skewed by a few degrees. Once you realize that it’s not so difficult. The real world provides the foundation of all good fiction then you just use your imagination to change it ever-so-slightly. The same applies to characters...all of mine our mosaics of people I’ve met or observed in real life.
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A beautiful sunset, sir. I am glad you see beauty even in the little things. Yes, you would have missed it if you were engrossed with writing.
Going home is like stepping into a river because with every step into the river, the experience is always different - the water is cold and different every time.
I am glad you enjoyed a wonderful time with your family in Ohio. I could imagine the laughter and the round dining table talk.
Well done, sir.
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That's a great way to put it..."Going home is like stepping into a river..." I've found that old saying is true, you never can really return to home. It's never the same as when you left it. Thank you my friend!
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I am glad you enjoyed it, sir. Yes, it's never the same. It is always different and new with every visit.
Thank you for your amazing posts. I always look forward to your posts sir.
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