Hippie Chick in the Big City

I have to say, the mom-cation was a huge success. I made it into Vancouver in time to meet a great friend for some good Indian food at a place downtown called Sanafir. I did feel a bit like a hippie chick from the country amidst the done-up glam of Granville Street on Friday night. Thankfully at almost-40, this is more of an amusing anthropological observation than an insecurity-inducing one. There was an aspect of walking down memory lane that night, too. Trying to remember the last time I'd been to The Roxy. Trying to remember what the name of that bar on the corner used to be when I saw Michael Bublé play there oh so many years ago. (As an aside, that guy's got a bit of the Dick Clark time-warp thing going for him. He still looks exactly the same as he did back then.)

Saturday was a lovely, ambling mix of coffee shops, yoga class, a guitar lesson and an afternoon of wandering Main Street (one of the best places for people-watching in the city). In my wanderings I, of course, managed to pick up a little something for my monkey - Chimp Sticks for our trips to Noodle Box. Maybe it was being without much of a schedule amidst other people's busy-ness. Maybe it was being someplace familiar, yet outside of my day-to-day. Maybe it was simply having a day to cater to my own whims. Whatever it was, I emerged from that day feeling peaceful, relaxed, clear and energized at the same time. Which was immensely helpful when I had to scrub washable crayon out of the couch yesterday.

I dare say I've started a bit of an epidemic amongst my friends; now everyone wants a mom-cation. I could not be more proud. We spend so much time putting our energy into other people that it's sometimes easy to forget about ourselves. After one quick weekend the well has been refilled; I feel more centered in myself and have more to give. So, if you feel like you're running on fumes, take a break. You can't be there for your loved ones if you're falling apart yourself.