I’m returning from a wonderful trip to the Big Island, and I’m privileged to have that opportunity. I’m reflecting on the benefits of a break.
According to the Harvard Business Review, vacations benefit “mind, body, and soul.” The potential benefits include an uncluttered mind, improved creativity, and enhanced mood. A reduction in circulating stress hormones allows the immune system to recover and can reduce your blood pressure. And if you are in your “happy place,” you may have the opportunity to reconnect with who you truly are and what matters to you.
The vacation was an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the world around me and on serendipity. When our rental car was unexpectedly available at midnight, we added a middle-of-the-night visit to Kilauea Crater to our agenda and saw glowing lava and a beautiful sunrise. When our rental car’s “Check Engine” light came on during our first day, our budget rental was replaced with a brand-new 11-miles-on-the-odometer SUV, perfect for our seven nights of beach camping. When a storm caused the Hawaii County officials to close their parks to overnight campers, we were able to find a sweet, inexpensive hotel room in a family-owned operation one block from a beach where turquoise blue waves crashed into the rocky shore. As an added bonus, whales cavorted offshore. When another camper couldn’t finish his last papaya before boarding his flight, we received an unexpected treat of the delectable fruit. We were among the less than one thousand people who will visit a protected national wildlife reserve in 2025. Our trip did end with a return to our own vehicle at 11:45 PM, buried under 6 inches of snow with a dead battery. Luckily we were prepared with a Battery Jump Starter and it started right away. (Seriously, if you don’t have a Battery Jump Starter, add it to your wish list!)
Our travel experiences remind me that I need to accept my family history research journey with the same attitude of wonder and the ability to change strategies as needed. I’m easing my way back into my genetic genealogy projects with renewed energy and hope.