How to create a sense of vacation at home

I was inspired to write a post about my favourite place, having just read this post: https://fromdreamtoplan.wordpress.com/2016/05/03/4-simple-ways-to-make-your-new-room-feel-like-home/ – which I’ve now re-blogged as well.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to spend some of my holiday time at a beautiful villa – El Castillo,  in  the Spanish hills overlooking Frigiliana and the Nerja bay and I refer to it as one of my ‘favourite places to be’.

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This year however, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to go and it got me to thinking about why it is ‘my favourite place’ and what is it about that space that gives me that feeling of being ‘at peace’ (apart from the obvious – the warmth of the Spanish Sun compared to the magnificent Manchester weather …. haha)?

I reflected that it’s the:

• Total tranquillity – getting away from the City and enjoying the simplicity of nature: watching the variety of birds from the tiny baby house martins to the magnificent eagles; lying back and watching the clouds float by; looking up at the night sky and being transported to the stars and back…
• Spending ‘quality time’ with my husband and just enjoying each others company – laughing together and loving each other…
• Reading – finding time to read a book and be ‘inspired’
• Writing – discovering my creative flow writing new chapters of my book(s)
• Cooking – having the time away from the pressure of work to enjoy cooking a shared meal
• Spending time outside – breathing fresh air

So now I look at my list of reasons for loving ‘El Castillo’ and I realise that the pleasure it brings me for the 2 weeks annual holiday can be found at home too 365 days of the year, if I choose to take time each day to enjoy my space ‘at home’ in the same way.

As part of my ‘life transformation’, I’ve created a new space in our garden – The Brilliance Within Hut, which brings the things I love about El Castillo home.

Something Special is about to happen..

Now I can sit in my ‘hut’ with the doors open wide and find the same sense of peace every day as I:

• Enjoy sitting alone or sharing the evening with my husband (and a glass of vino of course – to keep up the Spanish tradition), listening to our favourite songs, loving each other and laughing together..
• Opening the doors and watching the sparrows, black birds, blue tits, song thrush and robins – and even the occasional hawk fly overhead
• Watching the clouds (probably more of them than in Spain…) float by…
• Looking out at the beautiful stars and the moon (it’s the same sky as over in Spain after all..)
• Use this lovely space to allow my creativity to flow as I write and read, whilst looking out on my garden and enjoy noticing the flowers and plants of the changing seasons…
• Take myself away from the pressure of work, cleaning and tidying the house and just spending ‘quality time’ being ‘me’.

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Always be yourself!

I still love El Castillo but now I realise the importance of capturing the beauty of that ‘vacation space’ at home everyday too – why wait for the 2 week holiday to enjoy the simple beauty of the world around me?

Try it yourself – think about the ‘space’ you enjoy most and take time to reflect what it is about that ‘space’ that makes you feel good and re-create it’s magic to inspire you every day.

I’d love to hear your experience of creating ‘vacation space’ at home – Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think… Much appreciated!