So how does it feel to be on sabbatical?

"So how does it feel to be on sabbatical?" seems to be the most popular question to ask me these days. Well, I'm on day two and as you could guess, it feels great! 

There are a few of things I really love thus far: 

• I love waking up on my own around 7:45 instead of having the alarm go off at 6:34 (yep, the 34 minutes is intentional...I am very efficient with my mornings and have the timing to get to work down to a science). I appreciate going to bed when I'm tired rather than when I have to, and I relish knowing that I don't have to get up in the morning if I don't want to. 
• I love having time to both exercise and make dinner. Yesterday I ran 2.5 miles and today I biked 12 miles and soaked up the sunshine. Tonight I'm making tacos and then enchiladas for the next day (yes, we thrive on Mexican food here!). 
• I love having time to both be productive and have fun. Yesterday, I purged two giant recycling bags of items and left them at the church clothing drive. Even the productive stuff can be fun when you're in charge of the time. And, as for real fun, I've been outside being active and hanging out with Brandon when he's done with work. 
• I love having time to spend with others. I already have several lunches scheduled this week and next week with people I haven't seen in far too long or people I want to see more often. 

I never understood why someone would take a staycation when they could go somewhere new or exotic, but I think I'm getting closer to understanding. 

Of course, we'll see how I feel about all this free time in a few weeks. I wonder about things like "When will I start missing work?" I do after all love the field of physical therapy and what I do. "Will I become bored?" "Will I fear I am not using my time wisely?" "Will I feel guilty about how I am using my time?" We shall see. I'll let you know in a few weeks how I feel. For now, I am just enjoying the little blessings of these first two days. 

Biking near Lake Macatawa