Real Update: What My First Vacation In Years Reminded Me About Slowing Down

WOW. What an incredible whirlwind the last month has been. I’m back in San Francisco after a bit of jet-setting and most importantly, my first REAL vacation in… I can’t even remember how long. Those of you that know me are well aware that I’m always working on something. Balancing three jobs (Fortune 100 Senior Staffing Consultant, Founder of OneMama.org, and Founder of ShaBoom Products) means my plate is always very full.

People are always asking me “How do you do it?” And honestly, I don’t even know sometimes. I feel fortunate to have the crazy-busy, action-packed life I lead. However, with a million things to do all the time, there are moments in which I feel like I’m drowning amidst the chaos. When it may look like I’m on vacation from the social media perspective, I’m in fact doing self-work retreats to heal my traumas (as well as corporate and OneMama work), or heading to Uganda to manage our programs on-the-ground.

It wasn’t until I found myself on a beautiful beach in Italy (my first time in Europe) overlooking another glittering ocean with my best friend that I was reminded how much I NEEDED this: to step away from all work completely and celebrate the authentic freedom of vacationing ME. I can’t put into words the lovely details and soul moving moments. Much of my travel these days is scheduled and regimented. It long overdue that I spent some time without work of any kind; living in pure freedom moment to moment. A spontaneous lifestyle is something I absolutely love, but rarely get to do with my world commitments. This trip was made up of one last-minute flight or train ride after another. I landed in strange places and spent time taking breathtaking scenery, and having moments of genuine connection with beautiful people. I soaked in the blissful wonders of my travels–savoring every meal, giggle, and dazzling sunset. It’s only in moments like these, when we’ve stepped back from the chaos, that we can remind ourselves to relish slowing down. We ALL need breaks in our lives to rejuvenate, to stop working and just BE.

Returning to San Francisco I feel more energized, refreshed, and in the clear mental space necessary to take on the amazing work to be done with my consulting position, OneMama.org, and ShaBoom. Next stop? The runways of New York Fashion Week 2016, showing off the stunning new OneMama Collection we’ve been working on! Thanks to a much needed vacation, I’M READY!

Love ‘n light and may you take the time you need to just BE today!

Siobhan