For a long time, it was work on the front lines and home with only very infrequent and carefully scheduled trips to the grocery store. Eventually I rolled Target into the rotation, a couple to-go dining stops and day trips, but overall I’d been good. For 10 long months, I’d been a well behaved, mask wearing, quarantining citizen. I was overdue for an escape.
We chose an all-inclusive Spa resort for the backdrop of my 40th birthday. Not that I needed an excuse to celebrate life, but I needed to get away.
My timing could not have been better. The very day I escaped the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, the region was attacked by domestic terrorists. No sooner had I checked in, my group text thread and Facebook feed were flooded with news of the breach. I stayed informed, but enjoyed the opportunity to unplug.
So much of second language learning is about escape. Escaping one language world for another, if only for a short while. But we don’t need to wait for translation, or to gain full command of another language, to appreciate the immersive power of another culture. Nor do we have to look to foreign lands or far away cultural experiences to find worthwhile adventure. In a time when many of us are exhausted with the pandemic and political unrest of today, let’s not forget about self care and short term escape. Mental health matters.
There are many different types of escape. Here are a few I got to try this week, but will be sure to revisit in the weeks to come!
Geographical escape
Geographical escape doesn’t have to be on a plane. I traveled 4 hours north to give myself a true winter, complete with snow. I was able to connect with the great outdoors far from the risks associated with the not so great indoors. The Lodge at Woodloch was a decided upgrade from the local river fronts I frequented this summer (Like my favorite, Aquia Landing State Park). But whether premium or public, each afforded me fresh air, connection with the elements, and a sort of freedom to breathe deep and without fear.
Spiritual escape
Many yoga studios continue to offer in person instruction, but the pandemic has compelled me to access this familiar spiritual escape online. I’m forever a beginner, and so Amazon Prime’s “Couch to Confident 14 day Yoga Challenge,” is a favorite of mine when I need a yoga practice tune up. I ventured into a novel form of meditation on my birthday escape, taking my first “Dream Shifting” class led by the rhythms of Native American Shamanic drumming. Once again, free and paid-for experiences each have so much to offer in their own ways.
Escape into the Arts
A good book, movie, or music stream will do in a pinch to take our minds off of reality. I’m obsessed with how the Likewise App helps me curate exactly what I’d like to read or watch without spending mindless minutes surfing for something worth my time. Or worse yet, the undirected seconds I spend grabbing the first pretty book on tape that catch my eye at the public library, but never catch my interest when it’s time to listen.
Escape by creating art
While my impulsive purchase of a B flat clarinet early in the pandemic has not yet resulted in any great works of music, the creative inspiration behind the purchase is not entirely lost on me. I did, after all, carve out 30 days to compose a 50,000+ word memoir, which marked a serious check plus on my bucket list. But my visit to Pennsylvania reacquainted me with the visual arts, a category I have only briefly revisited in the occasional “paint and sip” date or company event. Now I find myself slightly obsessed with the musical Japanese cadence narrating this English subtitled show, Watercolor by Shibasaki. While I’m not convinced that I will embark upon a watercolor journey of self discovery, it is certainly satisfying to watch random splashes of color transform into recognizable nature forms in just 5 minutes!
Escape is closer at hand than we realize and direly important on a regular basis. My birthday getaway inspired something in me that had been lost in the current state of things. I’m excited to integrate the more economical versions of my birthday excursion into my daily routine now that I’m back to business as usual.
Bilingual SuperNoVAs 