On the holiday trail

Muscat: Now that the Eid is over and the holiday is well behind us, we all feel rested and eager to go back to work but it is not as smooth as it seems.

For those who went abroad for a break, it was fun to climb mountains, cruise the sea or just touring the countryside. Now we are back home and back to our routines. From the outdoor to the indoor and life is back to normal. The thing about holidays is that they leave memories that refuse to go away for a long while. If done properly.

In my case, I did not travel anyway but stayed back to relax and enjoy being closer to my family. But I did venture out in a more relaxed manner than usual. I looked at the same views in the areas I always go but this time, since I was in the holiday mood, I saw everything as if I had never seen them before. I now realize it is all in the mind and not what we see with our eyes.

Once we step in the root of the holiday trail, nothing can stop us and it does not matter where we are. We see things in new eyes and make up as we go. If holiday is a series of leisure than it should not be so hard. I tried to simplify it and make it as irresistible as possible. For example, I ventured out by walking six kilometers in the rain.

I ignored the car drivers when they splashed water on me as they drove past. It was as if they were trying their best to make sure I was not enjoying my holiday. Several of them even honked at me just to show their displeasure. I waved my hand as a sign that they could join me in the fun. But I don’t think they understood the sign language.

Then in the middle of it, a friend called me to ask if I was going for coffee with him. I told him there was nothing that could change my mind to walk out from the pleasure of having raindrops falling on my bare head. He thought I was crazy that I was out walking in such weather. What kind of pleasure was I getting from it? He asked me. I told him the pleasure no money can buy and that it was all free. He sighed and disconnected the phone without saying a further word.

Many people make a mistake of organizing their holidays minute by minute and that is where they make a mistake. To go with the flow of things is part of the fun. Too many elaborated plans backfire along the way to leave you disappointed. Just dive into things and let yourself go. The rewards are much better. At least that is my view.

If you want to enjoy your holiday to the full than you must switch off the time. I do not mean literally. With the clock stopped ticking, you can do whatever turns on your lamp of adventure.  It is just a different experience. The experience of letting yourself go and do what you feel right. It never fails. All you have to do is switch off what has been bothering you lately.

Now that the holiday is over, we can start by turning the clock back on. Back to the normal routine where every day has to be planned carefully before it dawns on us. In other words, the stress clock has been turned on again.