Do you have trouble relaxing on vacation? — Does the new environment, or lack of day-to-day routine, or whatever keep you from fully letting go of life's stressors and relaxing? Or is it just some internal "thing" that you just can't seem to shake? Either way, preventing you from fully letting go and relaxing? — For my sabbatical/long service leave (4+ weeks off of work), we have taken off to Laos for the entire time. The initial newness and beauty of Luang Prabang really did a wonderful job of allowing me to fully disconnect from work back home and truly relax. - Though, it's funny how if you stay in one place long enough some of those same stressors come back. You also miss some of the comforts of home and that can also derail things. For example, getting hung up on the non-existence of a kids playground (or at least one nearby/walkable) or easily accessible trails/tracks to run. Silly, I know. Though, the former can make it more interesting trying to spend time with your kid in the very warm afternoons of Laos. - Enter my wife, who I give a lot of credit to for being patient and offering suggestions in order to rethink the situation. For example, her suggestions for child friendly activities: go out and find all the Buddha statues in the Wats/temples, count the tuk tuks and/or motorbikes from the side of the road or cafe, take pictures and give them to my wife as a scavenger hunt that she needs to complete later with our kid (which we did and it was fun! Though she still needs to go search for them. Ha!), etc. - Going to a more laid back place, versus a cafe in the heart of the hustle and bustle. For example, @utopialaos is be a perfect place to relax, grab a fruit shake, and lay out while enjoying the view over the river (where this picture was taken). - I’ve also learned to have the self awareness and mindfulness to catch myself when stressful/negative thoughts arise. At that moment I pause, breathe, let go of the thoughts, look around, take in the view, and remember the beautiful place that we are living in for these 4 weeks and be grateful for it, to which I am everyday. 🙏🏻😊 — #vacationvibes #sabbatical #utopialuangprabang #fruitshake #namkhanriver #mindfulnesspractice #selfawareness #mindfulness #positivethoughts #enjoytheview #stopandenjoytheview #laos #luangprabang #awesomewife #stressedout #relax #relaxation #relaxationtime #relaxationproblems