Roots

There is much to be learned from the roots of things, including words. The word “vacation” has roots in medieval Anglo-French. Before that, the Anglo-French word had grown from the Latin words vacātiō and vacāre. Those words meant “respite from service” and “to be empty, be free, have leisure.” As it transitioned along through a few more centuries, the word came to mean “time for contemplation.” How do you define it now?

Vacation

Folks were onto something those eight hundred years ago. Respite from work, freedom from daily stresses, and/or time for contemplation is what many of us dream of and hope for when we take vacation. 

Who you are, what time frame you may have for vacation, who you vacation with and where you spend your vacation time greatly influence whether or not those dreams come true. Obviously, how and when you plan for a vacation also impacts whether you are free of stress and have time to contemplate.

Contemplation

Myriads of studies have proven that vacations from work are actually productive. Your mind floats through various new observations and impressions. Our breathing becomes slower and deeper. Our brains are fed with more oxygen. New ideas emerge. Challenging problems acquire some clarity. We free-think.

Shall we consider being “languorously productive this summer?” Let’s leave the world at our feet, enjoy leisure and find time to contemplate. Let’s vacation.