https://www.firstwivesworld.com/community/house-bloggers/maya-halpen/escaping-the-grid Comments for "Escaping Off The Grid" en https://www.firstwivesworld.com/community/house-bloggers/maya-halpen/escaping-the-grid#comment-5622 I did it! I took the mini-break. See next few posts. It really was a good idea. Thanks! Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:33:40 -0400 Maya Halpen comment 5622 at https://www.firstwivesworld.com https://www.firstwivesworld.com/community/house-bloggers/maya-halpen/escaping-the-grid#comment-5571 What about a mini-break? It's okay to get away from the realities of life's challenges... I say go for it! CM Sun, 25 May 2008 18:59:52 -0400 Guest comment 5571 at https://www.firstwivesworld.com https://www.firstwivesworld.com/community/house-bloggers/maya-halpen/escaping-the-grid <p>When the pressure of work, family drama, and troubled marriage overwhelm, I fantasize about leaving town, changing my name, and dropping off the grid for a small but self-sufficient life in the southwestern desert. I don't have much money of my own, but then I don't imagine needing much.</p><p>A beat up truck, a dog as companion, and a cozy adobe cottage — that's all I'll need. A pressure-free job at a local dive would pay the bills. I'll be perfectly content writing, exploring desert canyons, and kicking back with a few new friends over beer on rusty porch chairs. No father with Alzheimer's disease to worry about, no student loans to pay, no ambitious career or lifestyle plans in a fast-paced, high-priced northeastern city to frustrate the calm. </p><p>Such is my escape fantasy. Do we all have one? Do some people act on them? Are they the brave or crazy among us? I suppose that depends on how troubled their lives were, on how likely they could heal or remain safe, staying put. </p> <p>This week I depart for a short Mexican vacation. A dear friend who lives on the opposite coast is meeting me for an escape to the beach. We'll sleep in a cabana on the jungle's edge, read in hammocks, and practice yoga on the shore. I anticipate warm air, fresh seafood, and easy conversation. </p> <p>The temptation to relinquish obligations back home will tug hard. I'll relish the thought of staying behind in a paradise marvelous not so much for its sand and sea as for its lack of strings attached. But no person is an island. I'll be back.</p> https://www.firstwivesworld.com/community/house-bloggers/maya-halpen/escaping-the-grid#comments contemplating divorce escaping reality vacation Mind and Spirit Leisure and Fun Career and Pursuits Contemplating Divorce Sun, 25 May 2008 10:00:00 -0400 Maya Halpen 6923 at https://www.firstwivesworld.com