We traveled all of two hours last weekend for a yoga retreat on Martha's Vineyard, and though it was rainy and overcast almost the whole 4 days it was truly a pleasure and a great mini adventure at the same time.
The first simple pleasure was the ferry ride over to the island. When we got off the ferry in Oak Bluffs our first stop was the Carousel, the oldest in the United States. Despite being two grownups with backpack/duffel bag and no kids, we bought tickets and rode, caught lots of rings (but not the brass ring.) After that we walked around town, ate some fried seafood, and went to the post office to mail a birthday card. We took the bus to Edgartown, dropped our bags at the arts center, and walked into town.
Being part of a yoga retreat helped us to be more accepting of the rain and open to all the simple pleasures around us--a short walk into town, a hot bath, vegetarian food from a nearby farm, the two hours of sunshine that peaked through in four days, chocolate chip cookies one night and brownies another night, a glass of red wine, meeting new people.
Traveling, often especially close to home, reminds us to savor the simple pleasures. New England is full of quaint areas dedicated to old-timey tourist attractions and simple summer pleasures. We famously have the highest ice cream consumption rate in the U.S. But all regions of the U.S. have a variety of places like this, usually family oriented.
And you don't even have to leave home, of course, to enjoy most of the things I have mentioned. Just crack open a beer, put on a pot of tea, or run a bath. But if the sun does come out, you might want to whip up a PB & J and take it to the nearest park.
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