Ever get so overwhelmed that you just shut down?
There’s so much to be done. You have no idea where to start, so you just don’t do anything.
Everything just piles up while you sit there immobilized, like a deer frozen in headlights.
Unless you snap out of it, there’s really only one way for it to end.
I’d like to say that I caught it in time, that I shook myself out of my stupor and started to figure things out and tackle what needed to be done.
But that’s not what happened.
It all just came crashing down.
I took a serene look at the rubble and debris settling around me and decided it felt like exactly the right time for a road trip. I packed up my car and headed to Boone.
I stopped at Starbucks and got my first pumpkin scone of the season. It was every bit as delicious as I remembered. I opened the windows and sang along with my iPod. A few hours later, I stopped for gas and almost bought a Reese’s pumpkin.
Oh yeah. Doin’ just exactly what I want. Imagine!!
But I resisted the mid-morning candy treat.
I’m glad I did, because when I got to Boone, I went straight to Melanie’s and had this awesome Caribbean tempeh sandwich.
It had pineapple and fresh jalapeños and a delicious jerk seasoning, and was the best thing I’d eaten for quite some time.
I went for a run on the Blue Ridge Parkway, changed into dry clothes and sat by the lake and read my book.
I laid back on the ground and gazed up at the bright blue sky beyond the tree tops.
After setting up camp for the night, I sat on a swing by the pond and watched the resident ducks.
I didn’t stress about work, or about marathon training.
It was almost 7 when I woke up the next morning. I NEVER sleep that late. I needed to be on the road by about 9:30 in order to make it to Durham for my niece Avery Jo’s 7th Birthday party.
So I had just enough time to break down the tent, shower, and make it back to Melanie’s for breakfast.
THE quintessential comfort meal for me. Multigrain pancakes with REAL butter and syrup, seasoned, grilled tempeh strips and hot coffee. It doesn’t get any better than that on a cold morning. Or any morning, really.
Melanie’s wasn’t busy, so I ended up having time for a quick stop at the Farmer’s market before leaving town.
I fell in love with a beautiful owl painted on reclaimed wood, but settled for some apples and concord grapes.
It was an indulgent trip, filled with things that make me happy.
The party in Durham was very pink.
And then it was time to head back to Charlottesville and face the mess I’d walked away from.
I knew I’d need some energy to deal with THAT.
Not the healthiest energy source, but it sure was tasty.
And exactly what I needed after pancakes and birthday cake, I’m sure.
I promise I don’t always eat like this.
Between starting a new job and trying to qualify for Boston, and saying yes to too many things I felt like I should be able to do, I had taken on much more than I was equipped to handle.
I wish I could do it all.
But I can’t.
And, just for the record, I am painfully aware that I am lucky to have the problems that I have.
It’s just one of the many things I feel incredibly guilty about.
But I still had a really nice weekend.