“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Maya Angelou
I have always been inspired by the words of Maya Angelou. Her masterpiece, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, never fails to add solace to doubtful days. You must be wondering why did I quote her in a blog titled “Vacation: a work-life balance”, well, that’s because, vacations are filled with adventures and adventures do take your breath away, don’t they? Every adventure you undertake is bound to add more meaning and emotion to your life making it fuller.
Mother nature adorns our environment. Imagine yourself breathing fresh pure air sitting under a canopy on a weekend after a stressful week. Wouldn’t it feel absolutely heavenly to be lost in the shades of green? What if those very shades of green were the crop of your favourite fruit? Wouldn’t it be magical to eat freshly plucked fruits with your friends and family? Some might escape to clubs to get some action in their lives, but that is just momentary and stays only as long as the intoxicating agent supresses real emotions. However, a getaway to place away from the city, promises natural calmness and quality time with yourself, definitely a perfect vacation to introspect and closer with oneself or with your companions. A mere forty-eight hours with nature has a therapeutic affect on our bodies. With the fresh air cleansing our lungs, fresh home cooked food cleansing our gastric tract, the energetic company refuelling our bodies to face upcoming challenges, and the solace filling our minds with peace and literally cleansing it of all negativity.
Words aren’t enough to describe how gentle nature’s touch is. Did you know you have the opportunity to now get yourselves a vacation at a farm? Commonly known as farm stays, these stays offer a classic revival of nature love and survival instinct. The stories you hear around the bonfire, aren’t regular horror stories, they are real incidents that give you chills at cling to the gyri in your brain for good.
Life today has become a competition. Every task, every job, every assignment brings with it hurdles and ends up stressing the performer. The mental health degradation seen in the last decade is an example of the increasing amount of stress that lingers over at all times. There is urgent need to fight off the stress and live a calmer life. Waiting for longer breaks to go on long vacations sure is one of the ways to manage your work life balance. But, there is a smarter way to deal with ups and downs. Ditch the alcohol and do yourself multiple favours. Save your liver and your mind. Give your weekends a fancy makeover and go visit a farm, connect with mother earth, commemorate your achievements, and brainstorm solutions to your problems.
Farm stays promise warmth and a home away from home. A change of surroundings especially that of aroma can play a crucial role in refreshing the soul. Farms are filled with life, you can witness the crop growing, the cattle interacting with each other and also with humans, and at the same time also acknowledge the hard-work farmers put in to assure you don’t have to go to bed empty stomach.
Does it not feel amazing to have guests over? ‘Atithi devo bhava’, is a very popular Indian saying, where we treat guests as gods. The energy guests add by their visit makes the host’s home more vibrant and heart-warming. A visit or a stay at a farm has a similar effect on the natives. They feel rejoiced and motivated by connecting with people from the city. It adds to their livelihood not only monetarily, but also emotionally making them stronger and more excited to go on with their daily lives. Every farm stay I’ve been to has been a promising one, the people are humble and don’t treat you as strangers, they know to make you feel welcome. The food is at a different level, it is like literal fuel for the soul and can keep you charged all day.
The best part about a farm stay is the calm and solace filled atmosphere. The peaceful surrounding has the ability to make your me time genuine. There are no distractions. In fact, if you have a work from home profile you can go to a farm and get more work done without even realising it.
Isn’t it exciting to plan a work-action and be the Jake to your Amy? Well, farm stay is most certainly the way to get a break, do some social good, and also learn a little about mother nature. It’s an opportunity to get closer to and understand life in the countryside and help in the upliftment of farmers. They truly are the heroes who work in the scorching heat to feed the crops that later feed us.
Next time you wish to take a vacation to bring your life back to the balance, book yourself a farm stay and spend some time surrounded by nature’s beauty.