Feeling refreshed

The last few months have felt really overwhelming. Work has seemed like a huge heavy weight on my shoulders, barely reprieving during the week with constant stress (and time spent working) listing over into the weekends. I love my students and I truly enjoy what I get to do for a living, but it's high-demand. And with the lengthy commute and being the (mostly) sole provider at home, I feel drained all the time. Scott has been similarly occupied with work, so for several months we both have felt like we are in continuous motion. Trying to revel in the joys of our family and other aspects of life, but never really putting demanding stressors too far in the back of our minds.

One of my co-workers asked me two weeks ago how my semester was going (this is typical office chit-chat amongst nerdy academics like myself), and I told him things were OK but that I felt like a hamster. He looked at me funny (he is from Greece, so he said, with a fantastic accent, "what is this with hamster?"), so I tried to clarify. I said, you know, like a hamster stuck running around the wheel, over and over. You feel like you are constantly trying to keep up, but you are never really making progress. He nodded and said, "yes, yes, I understand as I am a hamster too most of the time." We both laughed but then continued on with our hamster lives.

So it had mixed emotions about spring break. The kids and I were off from school the same week and we had plans to travel to Florida to see my parents for part of our time off. On one hand, I understand the need to take a break and I knew that this would be good for me/us. I love to visit with my parents and am glad that the kids get the chance to enjoy memorable experiences with them several times a year. On the other hand, I went into spring break with a to-do list a mile long, and the thought crossed my mind more than once that an extra week of work time, without teaching demands, would be a welcome time to catch up. But with plans in place, I tried to get as much accomplished as possible before the plane took off and then just tried to relax and enjoy my time away with the kids.

We traveled to Florida late Monday, so Tuesday was a full day spent enjoying the glorious Florida sunshine. First stop Tuesday morning: Siesta Key. I believe that this one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to in my life. We go to Siesta Key each year when we are in Sarasota and every year I exclaim the beauty of this beach. It's fantastic!

Getting used to the (somewhat) chilly water.

The very beginnings of the amazing sand castle that Amelia and John built.

The sand castle took up a large amount of space so I was only able to capture a small portion on camera. The kids decided to build a few structures and then enclose them with a large wall surrounding the land mass area. In person this was an impressive feat, though on camera you can't tell the extent of their building efforts.

Post-castle-making splashing in the ocean. Amelia and John played alarmingly well together on this day at the beach. I think this is the most they have interacted in play together in a long time. It was awesome (and delightful) to watch!

An experiment by Amelia to try and bury John. Unfortunately her energy gave out before John was buried, but I think they both had fun trying nonetheless.

After we had our fill of the beach, we headed inward to enjoy some swimming time in the pool at the RV resort where mom and dad spend their winters in Sarasota. The kids enjoyed swimming in the pool, and we all took one trip down the impressive new water slide.

Mom and dad worked in the Orioles office for a home baseball game while we played in the sun on Tuesday. But later that evening we all got together for a relaxing evening and dinner hanging out at the RV park. The kids played on the jumping pillow and we enjoyed a game of Rummikub outside on the picnic table before dinner.

It's interesting (and a great coincidence, really) that the sermon our pastor gave in church the Sunday before we left for Florida was all about finding time for renewal. The sermon was based on Matthew chapter 4, where Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days. While in the wilderness Jesus is tempted by the devil and is deprived of food and all other necessities, but in the end he declares his faith in the Lord and comes out stronger in the end. Our pastor made a parallel to this experience with the modern day spring break. He stated that while we all might not be embarking on a test by the devil during our breaks, it is a chance for reflection and renewal of the spirit, time for prayer or meditation, to come back feeling stronger and with a clearer mind than before. I thought of this message many times while away in Florida. A few times when my mind should have been on the fun, on getting away from daily life and enjoying time with my children, and I drifted, I thought of these words about the wilderness and about the importance of letting go. I really tried to enjoy the moments while we were away, and I have come back feeling more refreshed and joyful about the richness of my blessings.