{"id":332,"date":"2025-05-18T14:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/?p=332"},"modified":"2025-06-11T22:29:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T20:29:33","slug":"and-now-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/and-now-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"And now\u2026 vacation!"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 18, 2024<\/p>\n

I enjoy the morning sun and get up feeling relaxed and calm. I decide to take a sort of rest day today to write\u2014suddenly I feel the need. I also really need to do some laundry, so I go looking for a nice spot where I can do both. But I don\u2019t have much luck\u2014no lovely places by a lake or stream this time. Either there are houses nearby, or the lake is inaccessible. That happens a lot too: you can\u2019t get to the water easily because of mud, reeds, or dense vegetation.<\/p>\n

Walking is tough today; it feels like I have lead in my legs. I don\u2019t cover many kilometers (just 17) and take lots of breaks. But I do complete the Nydalaleden (a pilgrim route that\u2019s part of the Saint Birgitta Ways) and arrive at the beautiful monastery of Nydala. Just as I get there, the bells begin to ring\u2014so beautiful, such a warm welcome!<\/p>\n

And then suddenly there\u2019s a shift in my mind. Why get up early? Why push to walk lots of kilometers? Why feel like I have to do anything? All at once I\u2019m able to see this first month as a vacation, a transition into the next phase of my journey\u2014whatever that may be. I know, it might sound silly, but this is just how my brain works. I\u2019m on vacation!<\/p>\n

And so I move on, feeling a lot lighter, and end up finding a perfect sleeping spot in a beautiful meadow, slightly tucked away behind some trees. I feel very at peace.<\/p>\n