Easing out of the Holidays

It's nice that the Dutch take a slow start to the new year. Emails are starting to fly in from the US, and even my UK associates are asking if I'm back online. But our offices remain quiet and dark, the company is running with a skeleton staff.

It's all kind of nice. Life starts to speed up for me around Halloween, with Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, New Years all tumbling together week after week.

By January, I'm saturated.

Douglas Welch recently commented on the need to take time for yourself at year's end, to reflect, to integrate, to understand. He advocates contemplation, not resolutions, and I have to agree.

A few days of relative quiet and isolation are really welcome: I can collect a thought, finish some tasks, and prioritize the future. Some around me are hurt by a few day's withdrawal, but the solitude restores (some) balance to my world.

Drawing credit aravisarwen.com