Soaking Up the Sea & Sun in Montauk, NY

I don’t think I realized how badly I needed a vacation until it actually started.

Yes, I’m a pretty upbeat and positive human being, but we all have our moments. Between stress at work and in my personal life, I had more than my usual share of those moments over the past several months.

As I start this new work week fueled with more energy than I’ve had in what feels like forever, I believe a lot of that stress got lost at sea in Montauk.

I made a very important decision before escaping the concrete jungle I love to call my home. I left everything behind. My production job, this blog and even the new project I hope to make a serious dent in this fall. (Stay tuned.) Being a creature of habit, I did check my office email a couple of times while I was on the beach. In response to my responses, my boss kindly told me to get back to vacation. So I did. (Thanks, Larry!)

So what did I focus on while I was away? Taking care of myself. That included:

• Working out
• Trying a new Zumba class at the fitness center
• Taking long walks on the beach
• Catching up on back issues of People
• Indulging in a 90-minute massage
• Cutting back on the social media scene

Finally and perhaps most importantly, I also made a point of writing in my journal everyday. Like exercise, writing has always been a cathartic experience. I may be too afraid to say things out loud, but sharing those thoughts on the blank pages of my journal helps me see things more clearly, especially with a little help from an exercise-induced endorphin rush and some sea air.

It was during one of those moments that I wrote my first poem in at least 15 years. I realize I’ve never shared a poem here on my blog, so I hope you’ll indulge me in this shift from the ordinary. Before you dive in, let me say I realize taking week off from work or life may not be possible in your life right now, but make sure you find some time to focus on taking care of yourself amidst the madness we call life. Sometimes an extended workout or escape to the backyard to catch up on some reading is what the body and soul need to recharge so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

“Wash Over Anew”

Staring out into the black night,

White foam stretches across the sand, only moments after the crash of a wave.

Another crash, another ripple of white foam,

All the while, the bright stars hidden in the city somehow shine down upon me from this night sky.

Each crash, each ripple of white foam, each sparkling star – a reminder –

Good times, bad times

They come and go,

Enter and retreat from this life,

Yet the rhythm of the ocean stays constant , just like the penetrating stare of the stars,

As does the fire burning within us –

The fire we cannot allow to die.

Use your inner strength to keep it aglow –

And just like the sea, the power to retreat and the power to wash over anew,

Lies within.