Boomerang Escapes-Nature’s healing ways | Travel Research Online

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Boomerang Escapes-Nature’s healing ways

One great thing about having a daughter in college is that after the holiday break ends and things begin to return to normal, she still has a couple of weeks off to hang and chill before her next semester begins. So, January found us with the house to ourselves to enjoy one of our many “Girls’ Nights”.

Seated on the couch, remote in hand, we began to scroll through on-demand channels. We began watching previews and tried to determine which “chick flick” might suit us best. In our search, we found Irrational Man starring Joaquin Phoenix as philosophy professor Abe Lucas, and Emma Stone as Jill Pollard (one of the students he enters into a relationship with). Seeing it had Emma Stone—one of our favorite actresses—we clicked play. I was caught by a scene that took place along New England’s coastal waters. As the two characters were deep in philosophical discussion walking along the ocean shore, Joaquin’s character (Abe) recited the following:

I taste a liquor never brewed,
From tankards scooped in pearl;
Not all the vats upon the Rhine
Yield such an alcohol!

Inebriate of air am I,
And debauchee of dew,
Reeling, through endless summer days,
From inns of molten blue.

When landlords turn the drunken bee
Out of the foxglove’s door,
When butterflies renounce their drams,
I shall but drink the more!

Till seraphs swing their snowy hats,
And saints to windows run,
To see the little tippler
Leaning against the sun!

I was immediately taken away in thought to the outdoors, my nearby park to be exact, by this lyrical poem. It was written by Emily Dickinson in 1861 and first published by The Springfield Daily Republican. They titled the poem “The May-Wine” even though Emily herself had never given it a title. For those who are fans of Dickinson, you know she often references nature in her writings. In this poem in particular, she references a state of mind brought on by her spirit with nature. It is the unity of oneself with nature.

As I am caught in the moment of the movie scene, listening to Abe recite the words to Jill, I found my mind taking me to my favorite walking spot. I felt the unity Emily’s character speaks of in the lines above. For me nature has always provided a sense of healing, relaxation, and clarity. I use my connection with the outdoors to solve a lot of my daily, weekly, or monthly struggles with being a travel entrepreneur.

We all experience those days where our mind is shot and we feel lost or unfocused. Often, along with other colleagues, we refer to this as “squirrel syndrome.” You are distracted by every shiny object instead of staying focused on what will actually propel your business forward. The cure for this syndrome is the outdoors. Yes, taking just a few moments to step outside, inhaling and exhaling, can bring you back into focus. Better, is actually putting everything down and going for a walk. I cannot tell you how valuable being able to push myself from my desk, lace up my walkers, and hit the pavement has been for the furthering of my business. Those moments outdoors listening to the wind, hearing the leaves rustle, watching the ripples on the lake, are the ones that provide the most inspiration and amazing business clarity I have ever gotten. Today, I would not be able to take on the writing commitments I have if it were not for the time I spend with nature. Therefore, I am like Emily, drunk on the essence of life.

Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Memphis, Tennessee. She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating 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 ride of leisure vacation planning.

 

  2 thoughts on “Boomerang Escapes-Nature’s healing ways

  1. Lisa, you are so right! Whenever everything seems to be going 100 miles per hour, a nice walk outdoors seems to sooth my soul. 🙂

  2. The serenity of nature is a great antidote for the daily stresses of running a travel business. You said it well, Lisa.

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