The feeling of being scattered and unorganized is overwhelming. Currently there is stuff EVERYWHERE. There are many things that need to be done, I have a list of 10 things that need to be done. Ideally they will get done today. That is the goal anyway.

This feeling of being overwhelmed has been prominent for the last three weeks or so. I keep trying to get a handle on it but then something else happens and it all blows up again. So, more than getting everything in order, I need a break.  A refresher to let go of everything, unplug for a while, and let go of everything. Just for 24 hours. 

A week ago today my grandmother passed away.  This prompted a last minute trip to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. It was so nice to connect with cousins I had not seen in 10 years (with the exception of Facebook of course). Hugs all around!

But the feeling of needing to be away was still there. My mom and aunt were traveling about an hour to Camas Wash. to take care of last minute funeral arrangements and invited me to join.  I went along with the promise of a “cute downtown street” to explore. 

I found myself in the beautiful Northwest enjoying a cool breeze, moderate temperatures that I wouldn't see in Salt Lake City for at least another month and massive amounts of shade. I wandered down 4th Ave. and I noticed how much I was enjoying the solitude. I was not feeling any sadness and that surpised me. While we had been preparing for grandma's passing for a while, I had expected her to last through the summer. 

I found a cute coffee shop to order tea and found a shady bench along the road to savor and enjoy the moment. The wind rustled the large maple treees that provided shade over the whole avenue.  People walked along the sidewalk discussing business, after-work plans and weekend adventures.

I was transported to another frame of mind. Solutide. Calm. Peace. Everthing I would have looked for in an overnight trip into the mountains. While I'm here to celebrate the beautiful life of my grandma and reconnect with family, I also took the time to feel present.  Grounded. To re-center myself just a little bit.

I think next time I need a vacation, just to get away for a day, I'll take the 30 minute drive to Park City instead of the 11 hour drive to the Northwest.

PS – I still want to go camping. 🙂