A few weeks ago, I was presenting as a speaker at WordCamp Miami, and a woman in the audience asked me how I found the inspiration to be posting on my blog every week. I’ve been thinking about her question, and I know that one of the ways I find inspiration is going on a vacation every day.

Now, what do I mean by that? I mean that you need to give yourself a break. I know you’re a hardworking kid, juggling school, homework, friends, ect., and that’s all GREAT! Keep being a faithful student, daughter/son, and friend. But remember to be a friend to yourself, too.

I was reading my daily devotional earlier this month and I was learning about something called a “creative excursion.” This is something fun that you do for yourself, such as going on a nature walk, going to a museum, going to a library, or something else that you find is fun to do. 

I recently went to the Zoo Miami and had my own “creative excursion.” Nature inspires me more than anything, so it was a perfect way to give myself a break! My parents surprised me. It was actually our first family trip to the zoo, so it was AMAZING!!!!!! :D

My favorite part was seeing the tree kangaroos. I was able to see a ten-month old tree kangaroo with its mom, but there was a terrible glare because the tree kangaroos are protected in a glass enclosure. When you go to the Zoo Miami, though, be sure to check out those cuties!

We learned that tree kangaroos can leap up to 30 ft. long!!! They have these cool animal exercise signs comparing natural features animals have vs. your abilities. For the tree kangaroo exhibit, the ground was marked with a white line for 30 ft., and it ended up taking me 8 jumps to get there! Even Eliana, my two yr. old baby sister, joined in the hoppin’ fun! (We even did a periscope video of the whole family taking turns!)

We saw a #FunnyAnimalMoment when a gorilla ate its own vomit. Hahaha! I felt disgusted, but amused.The gorillas were very beautiful, though. I learned that the way scientists and zoo workers identify gorillas is by their noses. I found that very interesting! What about you? BTW, if you look closely, the gorilla is making a thumbs up with his hand! (I guess she wanted to get a reaction on facebook.) Can you find it? Tell me in the comments!

My baby sister squealed with joy when she saw the ‘king juliens,’ or in more formal words, the lemurs, who were crawling on the floor and in the trees. I got amazing photos of ring-tailed lemurs and red-ruffed lemurs, too.

At the end of our field trip, we were tired, but happy. We could all agree we needed that vacation!!! 

As human beings, we tend to forget about ourselves because we’re trying to be everything to everyone. We’re all recovering from what my mom calls the People Pleaser Syndrome! (Or in other words, trying to please everyone in all that we do, all at once.)

It’s important to remember that when you give yourself ME time, you will be able to perform better in other areas of life. Thus, when you give to yourself, you’re investing in others.

Here are 10 ways you give yourself a break:

1. Take a nap ~ You may be thinking, “Naps are for babies!” but they really aren’t! Once in a while, I have those days where I’m just drained for some reason, so I lay down with my mom and doze away!
2. Go ride your bike/scooter ~ Even in the fall, I love riding my bike because it makes me feel free, almost as if I’m riding on the wings of a bird.
3. Visit a museum ~ There are so many museums in my area: The Perot Museum of Science, The Ammon Carter Museum of Art, The Dallas Museum of Art, etc. etc. etc. I invite you to explore the fun places in your area.
4. Go outside and immerse yourself in nature. ~ I enjoy putting my little sister in her stroller and going outside with Elisha. We often try to spot different birds and their nests. 
5. Read a whole chapter book in one sitting ~ For me, a book is an adventure to be explored. I love when I am able to finish the experience of a book in one sitting, as I often do.
6. Start a dream journal/vision board ~ It’s very relaxing to sit down and cut things out from a magazine that you like. These could be words describing your ideal life such TRAVEL or BLISSFUL, or images of things you’d like to own, places you’d like to go, things you’d like to learn to do, and more! After cutting, paste on a card-stock board. If you like to express yourself in writing, choose a clean notebook (decorate it if you want to, like we did at our last birthday party) and write out a detailed plan of what your life will be like in a few years.
7. Go to a Zoo or Aquarium  ~ If you’re like me, going outside isn’t enough to excite you. Consider asking your parents (or someone else) to take you to a zoo or an aquarium, where you can see forms of life you normally wouldn’t in the comfort of your own home (unless you’re going on your electronic device to see pictures or videos of animals or plants.) 
8. Create a unique piece of art ~ I often sit down and start creating a sketch or a painting out of inspiration. You don’t have to be an expert to create art, so I encourage you to give it a try! Everything is a masterpiece.
9. Play around with an instrument ~ I am musically talented, and enjoy putting this talent to use. You could also try out an instrument, if you haven’t already learned one at school or at home. It could be your grandma’s dusty piano, or your dad’s worn-out guitar. (Your instrument can also be your own voice.) 
10. Experiment with writing a song or a poem ~ If writing is your thing, you could compose a song (either on an instrument, lyrics, or both) or write a poem. I use writing as an outlet for my feelings and thoughts. Your love of writing can even turn into a blog or a book, as mine has. 

Maya Angelou said: “Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

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I’d to invite you to choose a day of the weekend to do exactly what Maya Angelou says: take one day away from other people, and give it to yourself.

Now it’s your turn to implement what you’ve learned. What will you do to give yourself a break? I’d love to hear what you have to say!

[elyssa]