Spot of T: Sometimes the best way to recharge is to unplug

Recently, my husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary. We spent months trying to decide what we would do for this monumental event.

A huge party? A cruise, as we did 25 years ago? A European vacation? None of that felt right.

So, we did something we don’t usually do… we perused the internet for ideas. Immediately, something caught my eye. A little cottage along the Delaware, basically in the middle of nowhere. Nothing within miles.

The idea was appealing. We could disappear and celebrate together in this idyllic setting… it looked like true serenity.

Never having done this before, we were hesitant, but the idea of time away from computers, work and everyday responsibilities was very appealing. But was this something we could do? We’d have to let it all go — no electronics, no inane TV, no phone calls, just serenity.

We had no idea just how much serenity we’d have at this little cottage. The house was located on the Jersey side of the Delaware River. Just one week before our arrival, we had that terrible storm, which did immense damage to so many, and in fact, claimed seven lives. It was an incredible display of Mother Nature’s fury.

Fast forward to our arrival. Our GPS said to turn left onto Route 46, which hugs the river. However, the state police and roadblocks said differently. OK… so we attempted to bypass this by going up and around several mountain roads, trusting that the GPS would guide us. Until it didn’t. Sketchy reception made it difficult. We were on our own.

We decided to enjoy this adventure and go with the flow, as it were. After quite the circuitous route, we ended up further north on Route 46. OK… we were getting there!

We made a left to get to our cottage, and in very short order, we were met with yet another roadblock and even more state troopers. Hmmm… this could be a problem!

At that point our host called, and through a very staticky connection, he told us to go back south and let the state troopers know we were staying just up the road, before the area where the road was completely washed out.

Why do I mention this? Well, with the river on one side, a mountain on the other and a road that was closed both north and south of us… we truly had serenity.

We unplugged completely. Honestly, I have not felt that relaxed in a long time. Each day was ours to do with what we wanted. We explored and had some excursions, many times coming up against road closures due to the massive storm of the week before.

But it did not deter us. Ultimately, we celebrated our anniversary the way we wanted, and in the process, we recharged the batteries of our lives and our souls. Serenity comes in many forms, including that of a river and a mountain and a closed road.

Sometimes the best way to recharge is to get as far from electronics as you can and return to the simplicity of what is most important in your life.