For many people, the new year is a time of planning. We map out plans and schedules for the upcoming months, often including plans for a vacation, some summertime fun in the sun at the beach, a cruise, or a camping trip in the Smokies.
We look at these getaways as occasions for relaxation, a break in the routine, and even as an opportunity where, away from the obligations and frenetic pace of home life and work, we might indulge in some long thoughts. We imagine ourselves, for example, in a waterfront cottage at the Outer Banks, where the rhythm of the breaking surf will inspire us to slow down, catch our breath, and review our successes and failures.
