Taking a Vacation from Homesteading
The view from my parents’ back porch last year.
Everyone Needs a Break Now and Then
We can’t keep up our long days of planting, weeding, harvesting, preserving, and livestock care without ever taking a vacation from it. I don’t know about you, but I need a break every so often or I get burned out (for ideas to prevent Homesteader Burnout, read my post here). If you never get a day off, you’ll probably start fantasizing about a time share condo on a Caribbean island. 
Even a day at the fair or a hike in the woods can be enough to rejuvenate your love for the homestead life and instill a fresh sense of purpose in your chosen lifestyle. We were able to take a camping trip to Michigan for a 4 day weekend in June and now we have just returned from our nephew’s wedding in New York and a restful 4 days of visiting with family. I did pick some veggies from my Dad’s garden one of those days, and we brought a bushel of peaches from an Amish farm home with us to can and make jam. So the homesteading life follows us wherever we go, somehow. It was wonderful to visit with our relatives in town for the wedding and see my sister for her birthday too. But now I’m ready to get back to the garden and my chickens.
I have a tendency to run out of energy when day after day is spent pulling weeds, picking veggies and freezing them, gathering the eggs, butchering chickens, and all of the other chores that go along with a homestead. But a few days away from these activities reminds me of how much I would hate to go back to living without them.
When you feel like homesteading is an overwhelming chore, maybe it’s time to find a farm sitter and take a few days off. Even one afternoon can be enough to recharge your batteries and rekindle your love for homesteading!
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