I went to Maui to take a break from computers, California winds, worn-out running routes, showering, red wine, concrete, Mexican food, skyscrapers, negative thoughts, and underwear.
I came back feeling like both a wiser woman and a wonder-wander-eyed millennial. The former because I succeeded in squeezing out a modicum of life understanding. The latter because I only went to Maui using PTO for 5 days. As simple as it is, being surrounded by 40 mile an hour speed limits, nonreactive and comforting locals, homestyle food and big families - both natives and visitors - slow beach walks and warm winds can allow the brain to "deflate" - at least, that's how it felt for me. I felt like I exhaled for the first time in a couple years.
I came back feeling slow. I came back to Oakland traffic, immediately cut off by a man who swerved across two lanes and almost into my car. He was on his phone.
I would typically allow Step 1 Brain to get upset. But I realized that his poor driving - and all of the business of the Bay - has nothing to do with me. The pace will continue to be a carcinogen to the beauty of simplicity, but that doesn't have to include me. I can flow within the lanes of this time and place, keeping the vicissitudes of achieving goals and enjoying being human within the lines.
Here's a pic or two from the experience, more to come.
Some reading:This article [Religion for the Nonreligious] on Wait But Why. It served as a mellifluous conclusion to my recent growth, delineating the purpose & place of my own 'Truthism.' It also brings the bombastic parts of our animal brains into clarity, allowing one to recognize their voice and effectively quiet them.
Also read this book: A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell. If you don't feel American, it will clarify why you are; if you feel like a renegade to the American way, you'll see you fit right in.
