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By Katrina Castillo
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with everything; work, school, and/or personal drama? I did. What did you do? Well, for me, I simply did what everyone may have been thinking of. Yes, I took a break. Everyone has different definitions of “taking a break.” For me, it simply means a trip out to the wilderness.
Two weeks ago, I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine. As my friend and I discussed our busy, stressful jobs, we came up with the idea of little get-a-away on the weekend. Neither of us made any concrete plans nor booked anything in advance but I felt really excited, as this was one of those rare times that I would be stepping out of my structured life.
And so, when that night came, we hopped in a car and drove out of the city. We only anticipated the “good times.” We took Highway 1 East and after driving for more than two hours, we ended up at Whiteshell Provincial Park. Upon arrival around eight in the evening, we looked for a place to stay. Luckily, we secured a room as one of the hotels had some vacancies for the night. After unpacking, we stuffed our hungry stomachs with pizza and Buffalo wings. Yum! After a late supper, we decided to walk along the beach despite the fact that we could barely see the scenery. And as my friend and I started chatting, the night couldn’t get better as a shooting star painted its way down the starry sky. Of course, when you see a shooting star, you make a wish. We did make wishes, and hopefully they come true. Despite the darkness and the chilly weather that embraced the beach, we walked along the shore and took some pictures. After an hour, we ended up entering the bar to have some drinks, check out some cute boys, and simply have a good time. At half-past one in the morning, we headed back to the hotel and gave our bodies and minds some rest.
The next day, the weather was gloomy, however, that didn’t stop us from having a great time. We ate breakfast at a nearby restaurant and roamed around the souvenir stores afterwards. Also, since the scenery was obviously much clearer than last night, we decided to walk along the beach again and captured more pictures. And last but definitely not the least; we ate some delicious pastries at a local bakery before returning to the city.
It was just a simple overnight. But sometimes, an overnight or a simple get-a-way can relieve us from our frustrations and worries such as our work, school papers or other personal problems.
Sometimes, all we need is a timeout. It doesn’t mean we found the answers to our questions or that everything makes sense. Sometimes, it means to take care of ourselves and trust God that everything will be all right.
Stop. Don’t think. Just be.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28 NIV.
Katrina Castillo is a member of ANAK.
To learn more about ANAK or find out how you can contribute, contact the author at
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or visit www.anak.ca.
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