Summertime is when we kick back, enjoy the long days and break from routine. I’ve been considering where we’ll go or what we will do on vacation this summer. Taking a holiday from the everyday should be invigorating and fun. It got me thinking about what kind of things rejuvenate me, help me feel I’m ready for anything, and make my spirit soar.

My number one is the outdoors. Whether it’s walking on the beach or hiking along the Appalachian Trail. I always feel great when I’m out in nature. I like the outdoors best when the air is warm.

I’d like to think that I will try outdoor adventures more than most, but you’ll definitely not see me attempting something like free-climbing a rock face in Yosemite. I find camping in the wilderness an adventure though. We get so complacent in our sturdy, climate controlled homes, I find it exhilarating to be out in the wild. I never know what Mother Nature will send my way.

I might see a family of bears or a moose swimming across the lake. She might show us a midnight dance of the northern lights, or give us a downpour that soaks the sleeping bags. It’s refreshing to be around that unpredictability for a while.

My approach to winter has significantly changed since I moved to Florida. On mild days in the north, I used to love to be out cross-country skiing or ice fishing. For me, snow skiing wins the prize. I get John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High when I go skiing. It thrills me to the core. The mountains are so majestic, and the slopes so open and inviting. In the mountains, I feel a freedom that nothing compares to.

When I can’t get away, short term doses of total relaxation make me all mellow and happy with the world. Even working in my garden or enjoying someone else’s garden can refresh me and bring on a feeling of relaxation and contentment. Other fixes come with tame forms of Yoga, the kind where I’m not trying to twist my body into positions it wants nothing to do with. The meditative state associated with yoga gets me nice and Zen(ish). I need to work on that part because my mind is always going in too many directions. A relaxing massage is a nice departure too. My daughter knows this. She and her husband gave me gift certificate to a spa for Mother’s Day. (Woohoo!) A little yoga, a massage and an afternoon reading a good book are a delicious way to relax, renew and recharge at home.

Home or away, what do you do to rejuvenate and make your spirit soar?