Vacations are brilliant.  And I definitely need them.  I don’t know why I build up so much stress but I do.  And stress is extremely counterproductive.  It kills the creative process and leads to lower productivity.  It takes the fun out of the day.  I like to have fun at work but that’s more difficult working alone from home.  I find myself simply focusing on problems.  All work and no play.   A two hour drive up into the mountains is the answer.

This is my third day in Breckenridge and I feel better about everything.  Work-related email or the customer presentation I have to give from the hotel room tomorrow is no biggie.  I feel good.  I even had some innovative business thoughts on my trail run this morning.  And my task list at home is nearly as intense as work, but I feel better about that too now.  I’ll get to work on fixing the tub and shower, stain the steps and tend to the yard without thinking of it as work.  Breckenridge has hit my reset button and I feel refreshed.

The mountains are perfect right now.  The temps aren’t hot but call for shorts.  There’s still snow on the peaks, even a little on the slopes.  I’ll be up here the next three weekends straight hiking the Colorado Trail.  My schedule calls for completing 200 more miles by the first week of August.  I started in Denver in early April and am currently at Leadville.  If I can really pull off those 200 miles I’ll be in good shape to finish in Durango by early fall.  I swear, the mountains are making me a better person this summer.