After requesting a chunk of time off from work over winter break, I decided to stay at home. So far it’s been a great vacation, I’ve been skiing, biking, going to yoga, cross fit, working on long overdue projects, dinner with friends, oh and starting this blog. There is a certain joy to be found in hanging out at home during the snowy months. The routine of splitting wood, stoking the fire, feeding the chickens and collecting eggs, shoveling snow, and getting ten plus hours of sleep a night is somewhat addictive. Not to mention the mad frugality and sustainability points for not driving, heating with my own firewood, and eating eggs from our chickens every morning for breakfast.
Throw in a few backcountry powder ski days, evening soaks in the hot tub, and you have a fine Staycation indeed. Perhaps this could be looked at as a glimpse of early retirement. One might be concerned about running out of things to do. On the contrary, the list of potential projects, plans, and possibilities for enrichment is ever-growing in the back of my mind. I’m in no way ready to go back to work.
That said Chase and I are going on a 4-day bike trip to Southern Arizona at the end of my time off. It is good to get out of town, from time to time. After years of dirtbag climbing trips, we are both well versed in spending long periods of time living in our vehicles on next to no money. These days we have moved on to mountain biking trips. Which are similar, but given the shorter duration and advent of full-time work in both our lives there are more hot showers and meals eaten out on our trips these days.