Vacation emptiness

Today is Day #4 of my vacation. For a total change of pace, I am vacationing in a big city, Chicago.

It has been an interesting three days, living in a city. I have met numerous friends and acquaintances of my host, Desiree. Many express surprise that I live in Jamaica and am vacationing in Chicago! For they see Jamaica as the mother of all vacations and Chicago as the land of work and daily living. Once they get over their surprise, I note their eagerness to expound on all the things I MUST do – newly remembered pride in their city and all it has to offer.

And so I muse on what “vacation” means. Literally, the word comes from the root “vacare” which means to be empty. Over time, the usage has changed to mean being free from work, occupation or activity. Returning to the original meaning, what “vacation” really means is a period of emptying our lies of the normalcy of our days (I pause on reviewing what I wrote – here is another profound slip – I wrote LIES instead of LIVES – perhaps because much of what we are living is not our truth but lies. Hmmmmmm. Something to think about). Vacation is about emptying the routine, the daily commitments, the obligations of our existence. It is releasing ourselves from the normal, everyday stuff of our lives.

I noted how I prepared for my vacation. I am away from home for two weeks. All arrangements for that time have been taken care of – bills paid in advance, enough dog food purchased, housekeeping and gardening arranged, even instructions should there be a hurricane! I have literally emptied myself of the two weeks. In so doing, I am now open for something else to flood in, for I know that the universe abhors a vacuum. Am I an empty vessel that will allow anything to flow into my vacation emptiness? Should I simply be open to all that flows to me?

That is one choice. Instead I have decided to place an intention for this moment of emptiness. My intention is to gain clarity about the next phase in my life, about some choices that I face – unhindered by the known of my daily living. I am open to the unknown. In so doing, I know that with clear intention, experiences and people aligned to it will flood in! It has already started to happen precisely in this way.