Why I “Vacation” By Myself

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This weekend I’m headed away for two nights and three days and my family is not going with me. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even leaving my city. I’ve rented a condo in a different part of town and will be there all by myself. It’s not the first time I’ve done this, either. Why in the world would I leave home without my family? Is it a sign of a troubled marriage, perhaps?

No, the reason is not at all dramatic or indicative of big problems, sorry to say (actually, NOT sorry to say!).  I get away because I need a chunk of time and space to breathe deeply, to read things that interest me, and to think.

Those of you reading this with little ones underfoot know that being able to have a full, complete and even moderately complex thought is a rather rare occurrence. And as a business owner, when I don’t have the time to think about what I’m doing now and what I’d like to be doing 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year from now, I find myself in the weeds and quite lost, indeed.

I am lost at the moment, and so I’m going away to reconnect with myself and my planner and to remember why I am my own boss and what I want to do with the hours I have available to generate income for my family. In so doing, I am confident based on my previous experience with a personal retreat that I will emerge with a plan of action to help guide me, professionally, in 2017.

If you are reading this and aren’t a blogger or a small business owner, that doesn’t mean that a personal retreat is not for you. Being able to take a break for a few days from the normal routine and all the stresses of life can be so very rejuvenating, and you don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to do it. I’m writing this post to encourage each and every person reading it to give careful thought to the idea of a retreat. It can be a lot easier than you think to pull off!

No Need to Travel Far

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they feel as though they need to get away from it all and have some reflective time is that they have to go far away. Airbnb, the site that showcases condos and homes available for short-term rentals, is an absolute goldmine of opportunities. My nearest Airbnb opportunity is actually on the other side of our alley, as our neighbors have a 1 bedroom unit in their multi-unit building that they rent through the site for a reasonable rate. Being able to see my house from my retreat location is a bit TOO close for me, but a 15 minute drive in town is just perfect. It maximizes the amount of time that I get to spend retreating and reading because I don’t have to factor in half of a day traveling like you do when you take a road trip or plane. I’m also spending next to nothing on gas and there’s no plane ticket, either!

Spend Less, Get More

Renting from Airbnb also makes a lot of financial sense. For example, I’m renting a 1 bedroom condo for about half of what hotel rooms in downtown Chattanooga cost, and I will have about 3 times the amount of space that a hotel room would offer, as well as a kitchen so that I don’t need to leave every time I’m hungry (bringing in groceries will also save quite a bit of money). The complex also has a hot tub, which is an amenity I always love to find.

My weekend away is going to cost under $200, including my food, and I will be set up for a year of success with my business because of it, which could result in tens of thousands of dollars in additional profit. I’d say it’s money very well spent, indeed!

And if you aren’t running a business but just need a break from it all, spending something like $200 to be able to have a weekend of binge watching your favorite Netflix, reading a few novels, and/or sleeping in is worth every single penny. Come to think of it, I could use a weekend like that, too! Maybe I need to schedule something for a few months down the road… 😉

Going away on a little vacation alone can be so very awesome, and you might be able to get away without even leaving the city limits. The last time I did this was 3 years ago, and I think that’s too long to go between retreats. I’m going to make this an annual thing from now on.

Have you ever had a personal retreat? I’d love to hear about it!