This has expressed itself largely in harmless ways, like going to drum circles and dancing my aging heart (and back, and neck, and right piriformis) out.
It also meant going away one weekend to a hippie music festival near the Shenandoahs in Virginia, for no other reason than that I needed to cut loose, be a free spirit, do the kind of thing that I used to do as a matter of course when I was in my 20s but feel so distant from, now that I live a much more settled life and have an employed Swiss fiance, and a job (or three), and a car that I drive, but do not live in.
The festival was held at a beautiful campground with a large clearing surrounded by forest, fall foliage just past its peak.
I camped with my old friends from that hippie band I used to play in, up on the hill above the clearing.
There was a stage for the jam bands and grungy bluegrass acts to play on,
A friend of my buddy Eric was there with his wife and kids in their enormous camper, with vintage interior decor that our friend's wife did herself.
My sleeping accommodations were nowhere near that deluxe. But the Honda Fit made a surprisingly cozy dwelling during the coldest night of the year so far, with temperatures in the upper 20s, and I was glad to have a car to sleep in.
It was good to spend a night under the stars, alone in my mini-mini van, with no one else to worry about or take care of.
But one night was enough, and the next day, after warming up in the sun with my buddies and some instant oatmeal, I was ready to drive back home and face the adult world--with its family responsibilities, jobs, a real house with a real bed, and of course those dogs--once again.
Hmm...maybe you and my dad should meet up? He longs for the days when his big life choice was whether to go skiing again or watch football or just read the paper from beginning to end, at one sitting. Funny how growing up makes life more complicated for people. BTW, the "swiss guy" is also welcome to come along.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you brought some playfulness into your life after the stress of the past few months.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a very playful childhood and young adulthood. At one point, I "regressed" (though not really since i never did these things) by collecting comic books, taking up coloring, and doing jigsaw puzzles. It was very therapeutic. And I get an awesome kick out of surprising young geeky guys with how much i know about Alan Moore and Nail Gaiman.
Hope you do all the regressing you need.
It's nice to escape responsibility once in a while when you know you can go back if you want to. I'm glad you went out and had fun!
ReplyDeleteI think this is wonderful. I long for a wild abandon get-away, but I think I'm going to have to wait for a few years. So glad for you and hope you're feeling a little more refreshed.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a nice break from reality! Sometimes it's good to get away and refresh.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we need breaks like that, for sure!
ReplyDeleteHmm, don't they say 'youth is wasted on the young'? Sounds like it wasn't wasted on you though and you appreciated the opportunity to go back and enjoy it all over again, even if it was just for one night :)
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