Live in the Moment Magic

Summer 2025 was a pretty boring one for my kids. They did summer camps but we didn’t do much as a family. My husband was settling into a new work schedule and the couple of breaks we took weren’t the usual. We took an anniversary trip that was just the two of us. I took time off for a dog event. But we didn’t really hike, camp, paddleboard, or swim like we usually do. 

We also had a car break down at the end of the summer and had to spend a lot of time and money to replace it. Plus, while we were sharing one vehicle, scheduling was a little inconvenient. 

So when I saw that my kids had a couple of days off school in October, we decided to take a little vacation. We went to South Dakota and stayed in Rapid City at the Watiki Water Park. We saw Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood and lots of the attractions in the area. The kids had a blast and we did, too. It was a nice break for the whole family.

But, I do this ridiculous thing whenever I go on a trip or take time off work. I always feel like I’ll have solved all my problems by the time I return. I expect to have some great epiphany while I’m away and learn the true meaning of life. I expect to come back a different person, who looks at things in a new way; someone who has a fresh direction and knows her purpose.

Then I get back and everything is just the same. All my stresses and problems waited for me. Everything looks the way it did a few days before. I may be a little more or a little less rested depending on the trip, but I’m the same person. Am I the only one who does this?

I’m trying like hell to hold on to some of the fun, live-in-the-moment, vacation mood. And I’m trying to look at those expectations of a life changing revelation and assess why I have them. I’m trying to find it all interesting and amusing instead of silly and disappointing.  

I think maybe being a writer deepens this feeling for me. After all, isn’t travel reminiscent of the hero’s journey? There’s a call to action, preparation, trials and tribulations along the way. You encounter new people and learn the ways of a different (maybe not strange or foreign if you’re only a state or two away) land. And what happens to characters in novels and movies? They change. They learn something about life or themselves, their worldview changes, how they handle problems changes, and they move forward in a new way. 

A hero takes a journey, learns something crucial, and then moves forward, putting what he or she learned into action. They save the day. Happy ending. And all in a neatly bound book or in a 90-120 minute runtime. So why can’t I fix my life with three whole days away?

That’s a silly thought but I’m finding that the concept is not so silly. Threads on Reddit show people who changed their career after a trip. People who moved, got divorced, decided to apologize and renew relationships with old friends. Granted many of these trips were worldview changing treks to foreign countries or to see the wonders of the world.  But there is lots of research out there to be found in a quick internet search that shows that vacations are healthy and make people happier. Some of these articles are clickbait for travel companies but some are based on psychological studies. 

Humans need time away. Of course, it’s good for our brains to break the stress cycle. Of course, it’s beneficial for us to see new things and connect with new people and cultures. Of course, a person whose mind has been opened and whose stress has been interrupted is going to make life changes.

So, see? It’s not just me. I’m normal-ish. Yay! I’m also not the first person to be disappointed when a trip didn’t provide a life change. I think in this very disappointment, I might find an answer that I’m looking for. 

Why is it that I wanted the epiphany? Why did I desire the hero’s journey? What is it that I’m looking to change about myself or my life? Maybe answering these questions will help me move forward. Maybe just realizing this about myself and my expectations for a vacation will bring about a change. 

I was serious about trying hard to hold onto some of the live-in-the-moment magic I experienced on this vacation. I need to worry less and put less energy into the things I can’t control. 

My desire to get home by a certain time had no effect on the length of the lines at the water park. So I looked out the window and watched the clouds move the shadows across the hills. I felt the mist from leaking water pipes and breathed in some peace. Suddenly, the lines didn’t seem so long.

I have mixed feelings about Mount Rushmore’s very existence and reminders of the current political turmoil were loud as parts of the park were closed due to the government shutdown. But that didn’t spoil the moment when each of my kids found the flag of the state they were born in. I walked down that path reminiscing about bringing each of them into this world. 

When we stopped to watch a mother and two baby mountain goats grazing by the side of the highway, I didn’t care when we ate dinner or what time we got back to the hotel. I just wanted to appreciate the beauty of nature’s design. 

What do you know? Maybe I had an epiphany after all. Maybe I just need to appreciate moments of quiet joy when they come around; to hold them tightly and let them carry me through more challenging times. This may not be a life-repairing, mind-blowing discovery, but if it’s a tool I can use, it’s a win. Maybe it’s a tool you can use, too?

Thank you for reading. I hope your day is lovely.