Reestablishing Rhythm

This is the start of my third week home, and I have a nagging urge to start figuring out what I need to pack. No, I don't have any trips planned, but I've been traveling on and off all summer long. That sense of comfortable daily rhythm I'd grown to like last winter and into the spring is nowhere to be found, and I fear I've gotten hooked on the adrenaline boost that comes with travel. 

There's a part of me that really likes avoiding the tedious and boring parts of life. When I'm on the road there's no time for excessive navel gazing or worrying about pesky questions like "am I spending my time or wasting it?" I don't need to worry about the home maintenance tasks that aren't urgent, but do need to be done to keep the house in shape. When I'm home, I give the chores a lick and a promise. On the road, I just worry about getting to where I'm going in one piece, and enjoying the moment I came for once I get there. Turns out, traveling is a great avoidance tactic. 

I've really noticed the travel letdown this past week. I got back into my exercise routine, and spent some time washing the windows, so I'll be able to see outside this winter. (Must let ALL the light in...) I caught up on my laundry, bought some groceries, mowed the lawn. I cleaned up the dead plants from the yard, and started putting another coat of oil on the back fence. Blah, blah, blah.

As I've worked, I've tried to keep the lessons from Spain from getting lost in the shuffle. The part of me that says I can't own my strengths? It also has some strong opinions about resting on one's laurels. "I know you walked to the end of the world, but that was last week. What are you doing today?"

Hmph.

I DO want to reestablish some rhythm to my days, but I DON'T want that rhythm to be a drumbeat of dull chores. I want the rhythm of my days, each of my days, to contain an element of fun, of joy, of rest.

So, I started to stop. I stopped to enjoy the flitting, fleeting presence of a Monarch butterfly feasting on my flowers. I stopped to read a book, a beach-read type of book. I reached out to my friends, adding lunch and dinner dates to my calendar. 

Work, yes, but also:  Stop.  Breathe.  Relax.

Yes.