Best Decision I've Made in Weeks...

Taking this little two-day trip was seriously just what I needed! Sometimes you just have to make a decision and go for it. I'm so glad I decided to take this quick trip.

I got a great night's sleep at home Friday night. Then, Saturday morning, picked up my free candy cane mocha from Dutch Bros, filled up the car with gas, got my tires/oil checked (anything over 20 miles is quite the journey for my quirky, little car), and hit the road. Only mere minutes after turning onto HWY 55, I felt a huge burden lifted and breathed a sigh of relief. I'm so glad these plans didn't fall through this time. I love that I'm at a place in life where I can pick up and go away for a couple days and enjoy a little retreat / adventure.

Then I settled in for the two hour drive and sang Christmas songs. 
That's normal on November 3rd, right?

I must have my months mixed up! Oh well. That's partly the beauty of going out on my OWN because I get to choose the music, the activities, the food, and how loud I sing the whole drive. ;-)

(After that confession, I'll never find a friend to road trip with!)

I made it to McCall and sat in the corner of a coffee shop in a big, comfy chair. I had an assignment for school due at 4:30 Saturday afternoon, so that was my first priority. Half way through I was so tired I could have put my head down on that big, comfy chair and slept the rest of the day. 

After finishing the assignment I walked around town a little bit... enjoyed the heavenly store filled with Christmas goodies. I think there is seriously something about Christmas that is soothing to me. It's not that I'm obsessed about shopping and, frankly, I hate the hectic-ness of the season. 

What I love is the little things: choosing a Christmas tree, decorating the tree, making cookies, watching cheesy / hilarious / heartfelt Christmas movies, visiting friends and family that I usually only see once or twice a year, the magic of a beautifully serene snowfall, remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus, beautiful Christmas lights hung all over the city... my brother and I are pretty big on traditions. 

We like to enjoy all of those "little" things. 

I think that those little things are actually the big things.

I know that most people act disgusted or offended or something else equally ridiculous when talk of Christmas comes up before 12:01am the day after Thanksgiving. I can respect that. But seriously... even if by myself, I am so incredibly thankful for two days to enjoy however I choose. Coincidentally, I chose Christmas... I think for good reason. 

I desperately needed some time to adjust my perspective (see Friday's post on feeling swamped...) and get some rest. I just wanted to feel refreshed. McCall is one of the quietest, most peaceful places I have ever been. It was so wonderful. 

Adding the JOY of Christmas to that mix? Just what I needed.