Skipti has been keeping me busy. This little brand that was only an idea for so long has launched in August of this year and - needless to say - this is the reason for my lack of social interaction and some big, big life changes.
My Skipti partner, Michael, and I moved to Boston. We live in Southie now, and we eat far too much quinoa and cauliflower from The Broadway. We wake up early. We go to sleep late. Weekends are just another day of the week, and we haven’t seen our doggos (and kittens) in longer than ever before.
We are in the throws of simultaneous national brand Pilots, retail partnerships, and influencer deals and this week I'm leaving for 18 days. Is this really the time for me to go on vacation?
Yes. This is the time.
Why? Because it is.
I'd like to claim that this is a symbolic time of year and that Autumn is allowing for change by clearing out the dead leaves that are no longer serving, but really it is because I gave every single one of you a year’s worth of notice that I will be gone for 18 days and I’m sticking to it. It is a predictable pattern that was established 5 years ago and has served me well.
I know myself and I'm honest with myself. I simply can't think and do at the same time. When work gets busy I find myself racking up a list of needs and doing vs thinking. Quieting my head without the distractions that turn to tasks was a learned behavior. It's human nature to want to check things off our lists, but are they the right things for the right time?
The cure-all to focused thinking? The Cabin. Below is a photo the day Eric and I picked her up. This is the old truck and have since replaced it with a beast of a new one. This is what I need right about now. Two more sleeps in my bed before I get to run away from cell phone service for 18 days with my guy and my dogs. We do this every autumn. Eric and I stop. We shut down. We carve out time to think about the big picture things in our professional and personal lives to begin to balance the micro+macro parts. I can't see the forest through the trees, but ironically, I need the forest to get ahold of the bigger picture right now. Enter the Cabin.
This year, it's all about the lack of cell-service. The deeper into the woods and mountains we can get the happier we will be - and the sharper we will be on the other side.
I will allow myself to embrace down time.
I will accept the time which I have no responsibility.
I will not to fill down time with the tasks that will fit
or check my phone for new tasks.
Here is the plan:
Day 1: Bluewater Lake to run free with the wild horses in the Zuni Mountains.
Day 2: A visit with the Wahweap Hoodoos, giant pinnacles in the sun-scorched lands of Southern Utah that have been nicknamed "white ghosts."
Day 4: A little jaunt into lower and upper Antelope Canyon, formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding.
Day 5: Kodachome. From here you can see 67 monolithic stone spires and 180 million years of sandstone layers. Maybe sedimentary pipes are my thing? We'll see.
Day 9: Zion and Angel's Landing is on the top (pun intended) of the list. Wish me luck.
Day 12: Camping in Devil's Garden. An early morning hike leads to the dark sandstone monolith known as Dark Angel and the beginning of the Primitive Trail.
Day 14: Moab for a 3 day Celtic Festival at the Old Spanish Trail.
Day 18: Drive back to Albuquerque to pack.
Day 19: Back to Boston!
So, what happens in these 18 days? My writing and drawing skills improve. My focus improves. My creativity increases. I can think bigger. I can worry smaller. I can separate the planning from the execution. So here we go.
Let's tie up some loose ends and get the truck. I am ready to breathe.
Comments