Call it what you want, but besides all the other names, I also call it a „necessity“. Routines may be good. Routines can help us a lot. But they as well can be quite sneaky killers. And one of the ways to get around them is to take these little runaways, trips, breaks.
Not so long ago, I got a part-time job in one of the covid vaccination centers. It´s just a temporary thing, but I work quite long hours there. I literally spend there most of my days. So on the workdays, I do nothing, but sleep, work, cook, eat, read, play the uke or watch some videos. That´s it. It´s been just two weeks since I got the job, but considering the epidemics and all the restrictions, I was more than ready to get out and to cross the borders.
Therefore once I had the chance, I took two days off and hit the road.
Final destination? Austria.
I have already been to an Austrian-via ferrata-trip about a year ago. However, if you have ever climbed any ferrata in Austria, you probably know that it isn´t something you would easily deny. (and for those of you who hasn´t, you´ll just need to believe me)
Packing my bags and getting ready for this trip, I had no idea how splendid it will be. I had my expectations (even though I tried not to) but after all that time, leaving this country felt really freeing. And all the beautiful nature just enhanced the wonderfulness of it all. My climbing buddy helped me to fill all those days with laugh and to conquer all the planned out ferratas. It of course wasn´t all just sunshine and rainbows. But it mostly was. Literally.
And let me tell you, that even in the storm, when it rained into our tent and our sleeping bags got soaking wet, we laughed. For it´s about the attitude, it´s about the vibe. And we both were happy to be in that place, at that time. We both were happy to get out of our routines for a while and we decided that nothing is gonna ruin it.
After the 4 days I came back physically exhausted (falling asleep on the way), but happy and with a bit clearer mind. I returned and fell back into the routin, but I was significantly more enthusiastic about it since I still had some of the Austrian sun’s heat under my skin.
I had stories to remember, stories to tell. New lessons learned, new muscle tissues grown. Bruises and scratches. Smile and ease. So I was ready to wake up the next morning at 6 am and go back to work (to make money to be able to afford another trip)
There was a lot to this trip and you can only get a bit of it from the video I dropped above. But this article isn´t about ferratas, nor about this particular trip. It´s about showing you how a few days, can totally boost you up, and make a difference.
I have already said this, but I´m gonna say it again:
You need to break the routine. Step out of it even just for a while. It can make a huge difference! You´ll forget about your daily struggles, for you´ll have new ones to deal with. And it may sound stupid but trust me. It is a biggie. It truly helps.
Just make a change, a shift, get into a different environment, and free yourself a bit. No matter where you go or if you stay in the exact same place you are at right now. Do what makes you happy. Do something you don´t get to do every day. Do something new. Look for challenges. Go get some experiences. Go peak out of your comfort zone. Just take a break, make a trip, go on a runaway.
Where I have been 