These are very stressful times for all of us. Most of us have never experienced anything in our lives that even comes close to the fear and uncertainty that surrounds us these days. We are worried if we will have a job next week; if we will be able to keep a roof over our heads and put food on the table. All we hear from the media is how bad things are and that its likely to get worse. Who wouldnt be stressed?

As humans, we are programmed to avoid anything that feels bad or uncomfortable. If it hurts, the first thing we try to do is get away from the pain, and stress certainly is painful. Were also taught that the quick fix is the best fix. Got a headache? Take a pill. Cant sleep? Take another pill. Stressed out? Have a cocktail, or take a vacation!

We think that a vacation will fix all our ills. We think that after the vacation we will be better able to handle the stresses of life. It’s true that a vacation does help by leaving our cares behind for a week or more, but how much does it really help?

The first couple days of the vacation we spend just arriving and settling into vacation mode. Then we get to spend a few days doing whatever we do on our vacations. Even during these days, our thoughts frequently return to the worries from which we are trying to escape. Then a couple days before we are to return home, we begin to move back into stressed out mode. We start thinking of all things waiting to be done when we get back home; we wonder if we will still have our job when we return; we wonder if these times of stress will ever get better.

When the vacation is over, we have to go back to all the stresses we left at home. We likely did not learn anything while on vacation to help us deal with the stresses of daily life. A typical gay vacation is only a quick and very temporary fix, like a drug. This is why Spirit Journeys is more important now in these stressful times.

Spirit Journeys’ events have the power to change people’s lifes. Learning tools and practices to handle stress and being exposed to ways of thinking are just a few of the things that during Spirit Journeys gay weekends adventure. These things are tools that can be used to help make everyday a little easier.

The deep connections made to other people at Spirit Journeys’ event simply don’t happen on ordinary gay travel. Honest and heartfelt conversations take place; people really listen to what we say and we return the favor. This kind of connection does take effort. We need be willing be honest and we need to participate. We can’t just go hide somewhere.

But the effort we put out has unimaginable rewards. We know in our hearts that gay retreats have the power to change us, and change us deeply. These kind of changes to our “way of being” in the world, can make everday feel like we’re on a vacation.

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