Take a Break

Wow this past year has been so trying for so many people. We all wanted to so desperately just continue and carry on with our regular lives and the events of 2020 just wouldn't let us be! The year collectively stressed all of us the F out. If you weren't loosing your job or your business, you may have been loosing your mind because your child wasn't allowed to go to school anymore and everything shut down to entertain them. We were open, then closed, then sort of open with a little hope and restrictions, then we were closed again, now we seem to be just indefinitely closed again. If the first lockdown didn't hurt you, these Winter ones with no indoor options for kids surely will drive you insane.

The narrative of what we are being told to do is so counterproductive to living a healthy life. We are told to stay home, stay indoors, don't see our loved ones, close our businesses, keep our kids home all day, don't celebrate anything, watch the news, and by all means obey every rule and guideline the government comes up with- no questions asked. This is problematical for so many reasons. Firstly being outdoors and in the sunshine is good for our health, we need vitamin D to survive. Second being around people you love is essential for human mental health, kids are supposed to be socializing with their friends and playing happily daily. Thirdly the news is very biased and into fear mongering- which is depressing to hear over and over again. Fourth closing our businesses and loosing our job incomes is super stressful- wondering where your next meal is coming from or how you're going to feed your children is worrisome! Just not knowing how this is all gonna play out is nerve wracking to say the least. All of these negatives play a big part and are impacting your health consciously or subconsciously every day.

For our family I was feeling major strains on all of our mental health. Honestly living in Ca is very stressful- we have some of the strictest and most ridiculous lockdown rules that literally are seemingly made up day by day. Because we are in a tiered system we will literally never get out of the tiered system which means we will never fully reopen. Which means museums, kids gyms, indoor dining, gyms, beauty salons, barber shops, may not reopen maybe ever. Collective sigh of depression. Seeing so many of my favorite childhood businesses being forced to shut down and some forever has made me sad. Not being able to take my kids swimming or myself to do laps has made me really depressed (that was my self care routine). Watching my pre-teen daughter get super anti-social and out of it has been heartbreaking to watch. Loosing much of my daycare business and struggling with income has been challenging. Watching as our rights are stripped away daily and mandated experimental vaccines are approaching has been hard to digest.

I felt like we as a family needed a break! So we took one and went to Hawaii. Yes I know- don't travel now it's too risky and all that stuff. Here's a bubble buster, things aren't going to get better or back to normal ever. In fact it's going to get exponentially worse. Mandated vaccine passports will be a thing soon and for those who refuse to pump their bodies with poison we will not be able to get on a plane. So I said F it and gave my family a vacation we all deserved to take.

It was a dream! The best vacation I ever had, I'd say. We swam, we went to a water park, I snorkeled, we kayaked, we paddle boarded, we ate shaved ice, floated in the ocean, swam in a waterfall, watched every sunset, took walks on the beach, e-biked around Jurassic Park (Kualoa Ranch), went to the beach every day, and ate good vegan food that I cooked at the end of our fun days. Quite by default we ended up booking a spot to stay at the very last minute but ended up staying at the nicest resort I ever been to.

When we came back we felt great (sad to leave Hawaii and sad to return to CA) but great. I felt rested, relaxed, refreshed, recharged, and ready to face the never ending lockdowns again. I say all this to say take a break when you need it. Don't be scared by the media about traveling- they are just trying to kill every last ounce of joy in you until you break. Do not let the government push you into depression! Live your life now because tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Put self care and happiness above it all- because that is the only way you are going to preserve your mental sanity. And when you need it most- take a damn break from this madness. The lockdowns here are out of control and just really ridiculous- it's not like that everywhere and it doesn't have to be like this here either. So when you can't stand it anymore do yourself a favor and take the advise of my fellow vegan friend and free spirit The Bizerkeley Vegan who told me when I was hesitant (cause everyone was telling me not to)- "Just Go!"