This last Sunday I decided to take a real break and look for adventure. The last ¾ of a year has kept me pretty busy after moving into a new home. At this point, most everything has found its place. The only thing left to do is finish setting up my office and finish our landscaping. Our goal with the backyard landscaping is to create a relaxation oasis. This goal of making a relaxation oasis has been a lot of work and little relaxation at this point.
So this Sunday I said to my fiance Ruth “Let’s just go out and find something just for the sake of finding it.” This action was inspired by a magazine article I had just read which talked about the best trips being the ones you come back from with a changed perspective.
We did not have to venture far in our city of Laredo to accomplish my goal. The first stop was to get a cup of coffee at an old-time grocery/ filling station. The atmosphere at this store set a person back in time thirty to forty years which set the mood for the rest of the adventure.
The next stop was at a community park named Slaughter Park. Now at first glance, this park is no different than most community parks as it has ball fields and walking and biking trails. We decided to wander into the woods on one of the trails and came across what appeared to be a large abandoned estate home. The windows of this once grand home were boarded up. There was graffiti on the outside of this structure and enough of the boards were removed from the windows to reveal the inside had been vandalized as well. At this point, we Googled up this home to find out why this grand old home was left in such a bad state. The only two things we were able to glean from our online investigation was that the home belonged to the Slaughter family, who donated the land to the city for a park along with the home allegedly being haunted.
The most rewarding part of this adventure was it took our minds off of work-related and housekeeping thoughts for several hours as we searched for information on who the Slaughters were and what role this grand estate played in our city’s history.
There are times when I am not pushed for time or have been laid up for various reasons that are also good for taking an “adventure” break. More than once I have used these occasions to take a walk in a different town or city just to refresh the soul. The are many times where the 8/2 split provision works great for getting away from the truck for a little bit.
I always find that these breaks make me more productive with a clear mind afterward which is why I wanted to share this story with you. Take advantage of the fact that we are in many different locations to get out and explore a new town, city, neighborhood, mountain, beach, trail, historic district, battlefield, and so much more. It’s good exercise for the body and mind along with the opportunity to meet new people or simply try out the local cuisine. I hope this blog inspires you to take a break and go on an adventure. Your body and mind will thank you for it!