ODE TO VACATION

Curious about the raven? Click to watch on YouTube . If you can’t wait to find out what it means, jump to the end of my newsletter.

As summer draws to a close, I’d like to revisit an Ode to Vacation that I wrote a few years ago. It now includes some updated reflections from this summer in the form of notes to self.

Ode to Vacation: At the End of Summer

On my last day of vacation I want to share?what I love about vacations. It is going to be a short piece because I am going to jump into the Aegean sea one more time before I head home. It is also a personal reflection about what it is about vacation that makes us happy and is crucial to our wellbeing.

Vacation is time with family.

The luxury of vacation is hanging out with your family, close friends, or loved ones. I love that we wake up, eat, swim, and play together. Richard Branson said, "How can you find time to get to know your children with the very little holiday time they are given in the United States?” I agree. So, we need to make the most of this time spent with people we love most.

Note to self:?Summer is almost over, but evenings and weekends are still vacation time, perfect for spending with people and activities I cherish.

Vacation is being in the present.

This is when I smell the wind. Listen to the waves. Watch the sunset. Look at the redness and the shape of the tomatoes I am washing. When I am on vacation, I am not rushing, I am in the moment. Dina Kaplan, founder of The Path, a meditation community, notes that “Being mindful on vacation can help us fully appreciate each moment, from exhilarating new adventures to relaxing quiet afternoons” and recommends going on vacation without a checklist so that you can just experience it as it occurs.

Note to self:?Keep practicing new breathing techniques, like the ones I learned from the?10-Day Breath and Meditation Journey ?with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Vacation is more life than work.

Yesterday, I read?The God of Small Things, for hours. I did this without worrying about what else I should be doing. Without feeling guilty about not working. Vacation is where life-work balance is heavily weighted to life vs. work. Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, who takes six weeks off and encourages his employees to take time off as well, thinks that this time away from work is necessary to see things anew—“You often do your best thinking when you're off hiking in some mountain or something. You get a different perspective on things.”

Note to self:?I just started?Tomas Nevinson?by Javier Marías—a spy story—and I’m hooked. I’ll keep reading my summer book into the fall without worrying about what else I should be doing. Actually, let this be a reminder to do everything without worrying about what else you should be doing!

Vacation is also vacation from New York.

My annual summer vacation is the opposite of New York, where I live. It is quiet (except for the cicadas). It is all about nature. It is slow and uncrowded. It is extended family, with my uncles, aunts, and cousins. Vacation is a total break from my daily routine and environment. And because of that, for me it also makes me eventually want to go back.

Note to self:?Nature—seeing the sky, smelling trees, listening to birds, watching the clouds—has become central to my wellbeing, especially post-COVID. I am committed to being close to nature the rest of the year, rain or shine.

But perhaps the reason I love summer vacations so much is because it is like being a child again. Carefree, curious and playful. Just the kind of qualities I want to immerse my work with.

Note to self:?Reset to being child-like, wide-eyed, and full of curiosity and wonder throughout the year, not just in the summer.

As I finish my newsletter, I’m back in Istanbul on my way back home. The kids are heading to their schools, and our precious, long-awaited summer is already over. I’m making resolutions in this newsletter to keep what I love about summer alive for the rest of the year. As I wrap up my writing, I hear a series of little thuds. It’s early morning, and the streets are quiet. I follow the thuds and see it is a raven dropping a walnut from higher and higher places to crack it open. By the time I spot her, she’s dropping it from the mid-roof, then from a bit higher, until she tries it from the highest spot on top of a cable dish. She’s so smart, repeating the process until she finally succeeds. I watch her with a smile, marveling at her tenacity and learning a lesson like a five-year-old.?Life is precious,?and full of wonder, whether on vacation or not.

What is it that you love about vacation?

I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you,

Ayse

This article originally appeared on?INC.com , without the newly added “notes to self.”

INSPIRATION

Save the Date:?Join me to celebrate as Bibi Seck, Joshua Owen, and I receive the Rowena Reed Kostellow Awards 2024 in honor of my beloved teacher and hero at Pratt. I would love to see those of you in New York in person, but you can also join us via ZOOM. Ceremony?Sept 24, 2024, 6:30 PM?Pratt Manhattan Center, 14th Street, NYC. RSVP or donate?here. ?Join via ZOOM?here .

My friend Jenny Fernandez, who was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice, has a new TEDxNorthwesternU? talk titled,?Repositioning for Success - Helping Gen Z Find Meaning at Work,?where she explores why Gen Z is struggling with disengagement in today’s workplace and the unique challenges they’ve faced from growing up in a digital world to navigating uncertain times. Please watch, like, comment, and share this much-needed talk?here .

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