Vacation at Home – Part 12 

Freedom of Systems 2

Life is nothing more than a stream of experiences - - the more widely and deeply you swim in it, the richer your life will be.  --Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

 

I have also developed systems for entertainment and recreation, keeping lists and files of fun activities to enjoy near home.  I peruse the Chronicle (particularly Sunday’s Datebook and Thursday’s 96 Hours) and the East Bay Express, (the annual Best of the East Bay is fabulous), adding to my files of recommended restaurants, cafes, concerts, theaters, museums, and speaker series.   

I clip and save interesting urban walks (found in the venerable 96 Hours) and file away local hikes and swimming holes in the summer.  I keep files on nearby retreat centers, weekend haunts, bed and breakfasts and elegant urban hotels.  I collect information on belly dancing classes, yoga and meditation groups.  

I try to commit to experiencing one new thing a month, whether it be wandering through a new neighborhood, going on an unfamiliar hike, writing in a different café , trying a new ethnic food, experimenting with a new lipstick, learning something new in a book or magazine, or even driving a different way to work.  

I like having good books, magazines and interesting things to read in every room of the house and the trunk of the car. (You never know when you’ll have to wait in the doctor’s office and the smartphone only goes so far.)   

I manage the Netflix and streaming queues, so we have an assortment of dramas, comedies, educational series and rock and roll concerts.  I detest wandering around video stores searching desperately for something to rent and late fees give me hives.   

I make sure we always have something sweet, crunchy and fun to eat if people come to visit.  Freedom of Systems Part 1 ensures that our home is clean and uncluttered.
Link: http://reinventingkarla.blogspot.com/2013/05/vacationat-home-part-11-freedom-of.html

Systems eliminate the stress of the last minute.  They are the structures that make it possible to enjoy vacation at home on a daily basis. 

Here is a list of my thick manila folders stuffed with the following ideas; I encourage you to experiment with your own: 

·        Restaurants and Cafes

 

·        Hikes and Urban Walks

 

·        Theater and Movies

 

·        Music and Concerts

 

·        Books and City Lectures

 

·        Classes and Workshops  

I have similar files for weekends and vacations away:

 

·        Retreat Centers (including hot springs and monasteries)

 

·        Vacation Weekends (Tahoe, Mendocino, Yosemite, Pacific Grove, Big Sur; you will, of course, have your own)

 

·        Long Vacations (places I want to see someday . . .)

 

·        Paris (a burgeoning file devoted exclusively!) 

 

Have fun developing your own, dear reader! Yes, the Bay Area is an adult Disneyland, teeming with things to do, but it doesn’t matter where you live, Vacation at Home is an attitude, a state of mind and an approach to life that can be enjoyed anywhere.