Return to Your Happy Place

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Hi there. Yes, I am the girl you love to hate.  The girl who wakes up with a smile. The girl who wakes up on the right side of the bed. The girl whose energy levels are so high each day  that you want to stomp on her because you have yet to have your morning coffee.  ( and trust me you don’t want to see me on caffeine) Yes, I am the girl who sees the world through rose colored glasses and drinks from the glass that is half-full. I am the girl who has been recently given the nick name “Positive Polly.” How did I achieve such a great attitude and outlook on life? How do I manage to get through all the daily crap?

First, let me begin by letting you in on a little secret. I am not always happy. WHAT??? Yes, I am not always happy! The reality is there are times when life sucks.  I have down moments and down days. Bad shit, happens to me just like everyone else.  The difference my friends is that I’ve groomed myself with daily practices and strategies not to stay in that state of doom and gloom, poor me, low energy, or whatever you want to call it.

You may recognize the title of this article, as it is also the tag line to my travel company.  The tag line truly embraces what  we all need to do. It is what I do almost daily and definitely throughout the year. And you have to make these things a practice.  For me, getting to my happy place encompasses 4 key components….THRIVE, REVIVE, INDULGE, ESCAPE.

Here are my definitions.
Thrive-
To thrive is to reach and maintain a level of health and well-being that provides you longevity in life.  No longer are the days of matching up to an image society has created. Today, it is about reaching your best and feeling your best, so you can continue to do the things you love.

Revive-
To revive is to take time to fuel your soul and mind.  Feed your spirit whether you have a regular religious practice or just take time for yourself.  It is about reaching deep within, connecting with your inner being. This can be achieved through practices of church, meditation, yoga, personal development through reading, and/or journaling.  The point is to find what helps you most to restore your inner peace.

Indulge-
To indulge is to try new things, taste what the world has to offer, and to treat yourself.  Stop saying no to yourself and start saying yes.  I believe all aspects of life should operate on an 80/20 rule.  20 percent of the time you give in. Have the piece of cake, buy the new outfit, enjoy the seaweed wrap.  To indulge is to let yourself have the things you think you shouldn’t.

Escape-
To escape is more then merely traveling. To escape is to let go of you daily routines and disconnect from your devices. You can escape alone or with others, but you must escape.  Escaping can be as simple as a walk or as elaborate as a trip around the world.  By escaping we can easily bring the other 3 components into action… thrive, revive, indulge.

When you learn to balance your life by setting aside time for these 4 realms, you return to your happy place.

Here is how I incorporate theses into a daily action.
I have a “me” routine.  The “me” routine incorporates the thrive and revive.  Being the morning person that I am, my “me” routine begins my days.  For revive, I journal and meditate daily.  Or sometimes swap this out with prayer.  Walks and yoga are other key components in my revive arsenal.

For thrive, I do a daily workout.  My workouts vary from cardio, weights, Pilates, yoga and more.  Often I do the workout in the comfort of my home, but keep a gym membership as well to change it up.

For indulge, I reward myself each day. Sometimes it may be a food item or sometimes I treat myself to. One of the ways I encourage myself to get my to do’s done is by telling myself when the list is done I can have ____.  Why did I have so much pool time this year????

Which brings me to escape. The pool was one of my escapes.  Another is a walk and just getting  back in tune with nature. It could be finding time to disappear in a good book too.  When you make time or take time to step away from the grind you will find the picture gets clearer and the energy or creativity you need to get through the project comes back. Of course on a larger scale, taking that weekend getaway and making time for your vacation aka ESCAPE you will be able to begin that journey back to your happy place.

As the song says, “Changes in latitudes Changes in Attitudes” ~ Jimmy Buffet

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslReturn to Your Happy Place
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My Vermont

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Vermont, if you weren’t aware, means Green Mountain and has been nicknamed the Green Mountain state. It was the 14th state in the Union and is located in New England in the north eastern Unite States.  It borders Canada to the North, Massachusetts to the South, New Hampshire to the East and New York to the West.  It is a state rich in history, culture, and art. It has many ties and markers that will bring you back to yester years.  It’s has deep roots in history to The Revolution and is rich in personal history as my relatives have been here hundreds of years in the South West corner, in a town called Bennington.

Vermont has always called to me.  I have lived here 4 different times over the course of my life and many a childhood memory as we would travel back from where we were living to celebrate holidays with the family.  The very house I sit in now as I compose this journal,  has been in our family since the early 1800s.  But more than the family connection, Vermont to me is a sensory experience that always delights.   I can remember driving from Wisconsin to Vermont for family visits. Year after year,  each drive I couldn’t wait until we crossed the border to open the windows. The air just smelled so good.

Today, as I make the trek from New Jersey to Vermont, I still can’t wait to hit those mountains. As soon as I get there it’s like a big, aaaaah.  Can you imagine a place like that?  A place that instantly soothes and takes away your stress?

Sports, History, Art, Culture, Food and Drink are a plenty. Just pick your season.  What are you waiting for?


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslMy Vermont
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Passport for Your Palate-German Eggs

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What are German Eggs?

Well, it’s an affectionate name we’ve given to the style and method of eating an egg that we discovered in Germany and Austria. Back in the early 2000s, my then-husband lived and worked in Julich, Germany.  He only came home for week visits about every  6 to 8 weeks, during the two years the company moved him there. Meanwhile, myself and 3 toddlers were living back in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Well, one day I decided instead of him flying home, that I should pack up the three kids despite their young age and take a trip to Germany instead of him coming home.
I spent a good part of a year planning it.  Learning German, reading up on the countries, and planning a 2-week driving itinerary that would suit both parents and children alike. Once the trip was set, I packed up 3 kids (2, 4, and 6 years of age at the time) and boarded a KLM flight for Amsterdam for our summer vacation.

One of the things I loved was breakfast while we were there. You see I am not really a fan of traditional breakfast food. You know cereals, waffles, pancakes, and such.  I much prefer to eat something more like dinner or lunch. Even now I’ll take a plate of leftovers over a standard breakfast. You can imagine the joy, if you are like me, to discover in Europe they have lots of things on the morning buffet that are more like lunch.  Meats and sausages, bread, cheeses, and more!  All fresh from the farm.  My mouth is watering just envisioning some of the table spreads I remember coming down to.
Well, one of the staples on these tables was eggs.  Not just hard-boiled eggs though, but what we would refer to as soft boiled.  What made these eggs even tastier was the way they were served with their own special cup and utensils. They became the family favorite.  So much so that I began the search during the trip to find my own set of Eierbecher (egg cups) and Eierlöffel (egg spoons), along with the special egg cracker.

Thus when we returned from Germany and Austria, the kids would request German eggs because that’s where they were introduced to the soft boiled egg.  We have a tradition now of eating them for our holiday breakfasts, but they make the perfect treat for a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast.  Mind you there is some trick to producing the perfect soft boiled egg and this is what I/we learned from our travels.


How to Make the Perfect Soft Boiled (German) Egg

2 eggs
Small bowl with cold water
Pot ( some say the glass is better than aluminum)

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil.  Large enough, there is room for the eggs not to collide.   Gently place eggs into boiling water. ( I use a slotted spoon to set in the boil slowly)  Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low.  Set timer for 5 minutes or 6 if you like your yolks a bit thicker.  When the timer goes off, carefully remove the egg with a spoon and set it in the bowl of cold water.  Note: if you are boiling more than 2 eggs, you will need a larger pot and add a minute or 2 more.

To eat, place the egg in your egg cup, use the top egg cracker to remove the top, then use the small spoon to scoop out the deliciousness.  Salt and pepper as desired.

Serves 1



Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslPassport for Your Palate-German Eggs
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