It’s true – I recently ran away from home. I don’t know if you are like me but there have been times in my life – usually stressful or overwhelming times – where I just want to bolt! Sometimes for a day and sometimes I have this whole alternate fantasy life of living somewhere else…
August was an emotionally charged month – I got married, my son left for college – and a few other things were going on that I can’t really throw out into the blogosphere.
I didn’t think it would be easy to send my son off to college but I didn’t think it would hit me as hard as it did. Again – I think it’s the whole combination of things happening that simply became too much. There was little room in my head for creativity and I could (and did) cry at the drop of a dime.
My thoughts, once again, turned to escape. Maybe if I just had a change of scenery, I could reboot and get out of this tear-filled funk. I thought of going to the coast but didn’t want to drive there and back right before or during a holiday weekend. I decided to play with Priceline. I thought – maybe I could just run away to Portland and play tourist…
I looked at some downtown hotel rates and didn’t really want to pay that much. So I decided to try the ‘make an offer” – where you say what you will pay in a particular area, for a particular rated hotel and if one agrees, it’s yours – no changing your mind. I thought, “Well, the universe (or Priceline) can decide if I’m meant to run away”. They said the average price of a four star hotel was $190 so I offered $85… and guess what?
I ran away to Portland.
One thing I didn’t count on was the hotel charging $28 to park. I didn’t really want to add that to my escape budget so I looked into alternative methods of transportation. The bus stops 1/2 mile from my new house and is a straight shot to the middle of downtown – in only 38 minutes! I’ve ridden MAX a lot – Portland’s light rail system – but never the bus. I grabbed my $2.40 in exact change, my backpack and purse and walked out the door like a giddy child. This made it that much more of an adventure!
It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid-70s as I headed into the city. I checked into a very cool hotel (Portland DeLuxe), checked in and headed out on foot. I wandered around the shops in Northwest with no real destination. I had dinner. I wandered back and read The Hunger Games from cover to cover. I slept like a log.
Guess what? I haven’t cried since. I have creative ideas again. I feel like a brand new person!
Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary to keep yourself and your creativity in balance. I had the complete support and understanding of my new husband to do whatever I felt I needed to do to get back to my normal happy self.
I’m so glad I ran away… because now I’ve found my way back to myself.
I highly recommend a change of scenery – even if it’s just a walk around the block – if you ever feel stuck – be it emotionally, creatively, or both. And if you decide to run away over night – know that it’s been done before and done a world of good!
Now I have to stop typing and start creating!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
Great idea and glad you are feeling creative and back on track.
How very true, and by coincidence very pertinent. Thank you Tara! Onward and upwards, life passages and all.
I’ve found that I don’t do this often enough! Thanks for posting.
Congrats on the marriage and son in college. I sent my son away to school a couple of years ago and it IS stressful. So many “what if’s” running around in your head, right?
Taking a break from the “normal” routine is a great idea, one that I have done (need again) before. Loved the post Tara!
It’s a good “therapy” to change environment when some emotions like you described get in the way of creativity!
Awe Tara….I do understand. When a son leaves home, life is different and it is a stressful life event. Congratulations on your new marriage. Those are two major life changes and you deserved a mini “run away event” to regroup. Life usually gets better after a break in our routines. Glad you are okay. Mary Lou LaBerge