Change is overwhelming, but sometimes we have to plug through, until we can’t anymore. Today, self care comes in the form of a mom break!
There comes a point, in every pandemic, that a mom needs a break from her family. After months of juggling the needs of two children, a husband and a dog, while trying to work three jobs from the kitchen counter I found that point. Head swimming, barely able to think five minutes ahead, unable to sort out one thought from another I plainly told my husband that I had booked a cabin for the weekend and they weren’t invited. It was time for a mom break.
I am very comfortable keeping myself company, so I made the conscious decision to take a weekend to myself and work on a project that I hadn’t had time to look at since Covid-19 locked down the Northwest Territories. I brought a book, hired a caterer to make me spa quality food (no cooking required) and took a weekend to be.
It isn’t hard to find a quiet corner to hide in Yellowknife. If you’re in the city, cabins and tents can be as close as a five minute drive. Not wanting my family to be able to find me, I reached out to a friend that lived “off the grid” just outside of city limits, assuming she’d know someone who had a cabin to rent. Her generous reply came back quickly telling me they had a cabin on their property, and she would love for me to use it! A weight fell from my shoulders and I spent the next two weeks planning my get away.
Holding firm to the steering wheel, making great use of the brakes, I drove over unfamiliar roads patched with new gravel documenting the progress of construction season, to land in a dream. Friday to Sunday afternoon were all mine, to do with as I pleased, to think without interruption and to work on my personal projects, with focus. In between thinking and focusing, I took time to relearn how to play solitaire, to go for walks and lay on the rocks and stare at the sky.
I’ve filed this beautiful experience in my “I can’t believe it took a pandemic for me to do this” box. The box is filled with beautiful little treasures that have shone light into my life in these uncertain times.
A Few Images of my Rejuvenating Mom Break
Captions for images:
- Taking a minute to be
- Playing with my new bluetooth remote
- Raw vegan meals kept my energy up
- Working on the layout for my new children’s book ‘Northern Princess’
- A great setting to take product photos
- I needed pictures of this salad in a camping setting anyway…
- Remembering the cottage loft we slept in as kids
- Reading without interruption is one of the perks of a weekend alone
Staring up the clouds became a favourite past time during my weekend away. Now I’m feeling refreshed and ready to jump back into my hectic life with both feet!
