I am always up for a weekend road trip with the family, but with Jacob out of town, Rob and I took to the road without a real plan. Realizing we had the dog, we packed him up as well and found a pet-friendly hotel near San Jose. I never thought I would be one to take a dog on vacation to a hotel. Camping, yes! but a hotel? I was never too much of a dog-lover, even being accused at one point of kicking one at a friend's house.
After rearranging my stupidly-busy schedule to be done working by noon, we headed out midday Saturday. Quickly packing a few things in our backpacks, we headed north. Reading about a trail in San Jose that overlooked the Silicon Valley, we drove all day to get there. Driving through the rolling hills towards Hollister/San Jose and then through a small town with fruit stands at every corner makes you forget the hustle of the every day. In the jeep with the top off, the air was warm and the drive a relaxing way to spend a Saturday evening. With a quick stop at the outlets in Gilroy for a little shopping, we were almost to our destination for the night.
Waking up at the crack of dawn to catch a sunrise was our next adventure. Hoping this day would bring more excitement than dinner the night before, we checked out and headed to the top of the Open Space Reserve. Driving miles through a thick marine layer, we finally cleared the top and the sun was peeking out. At the top, we looked over a blanket of fluffy white landscape. As we waited, we watched the layers come and go and the sun come up. We didn't see the Silicon Valley but the morning air and view was still a sight to see.
If you only have a weekend, LA to San Jose can be a beautiful way to see a little country road, rolling hills, and the beach. After the sun came up, we headed South stopping at one of the fruit stands for avocados and raw honey from a local beekeeper. Our next stop was the quaint shops in San Luis Obispo for lunch. From there, we headed to the sandy dunes of Pismo to check out the ocean. A little cooler down the 101 but worth the drive and the sights.
Sometimes you gotta let loose and head out of town for a day or two to remind yourself you are human and that the world is bigger than the place you go to work every day and the life you live is as good as you want it to be. For me, heading out of town is an escape. An escape from the mundane, an escape from the chores, from the busyness. As many responsibilities I have, when I get in the passenger seat of the jeep, I am free. My mind wanders away from the negativity and the stresses of work to a place of peace and freedom. I can rest and appreciate the work I have done.
Whatever it is for you, find it and do it. For some, it may be taking a bike ride, walking the dog, or listening to your favorite playlist. Whatever it is, allow yourself to be free a little bit each day, even if only for an hour, take a moment to rest. You will breathe easier, think more clearly, and be you.
God rested on the last day for a reason. His work was done and he sat to enjoy it. Let us be people who enjoy the life we created. Let us sit. Let us be.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Genesis 2:2
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