A Magic-al Time is Coming

Each vacation I have is exciting, in its way. My work is mentally challenging (does that mean I'm mentally challenged?) so when I get away, I really like to get away. That doesn't mean I need to leave town, as is evidenced by some of my favorite family vacations which were "staycations" before anyone even coined that phrase.

Still, removing myself from the familiar Rochester surroundings is a good way to trigger my brain to think of other things, and I'm about to embark on a retreat of sorts. I'll be heading to visit Paul, six hours away, for a few days in far northeastern Wisconsin. When some people hear me say that, they assume we'll be enjoying the great outdoors. That's a natural conclusion -- the area is very beautiful. Sherry and I saw many nice areas when we visited Paul in 2006.

But that's not the itinerary this time.



This time, it's Magic.

Though I initially was not impressed with the Conflux set, the Alara Reborn set reignited my interest. This was very good, considering my imminent trip to Paul's, and my desire to have fresh Magic decks to play. (Alara Reborn and deck building, did give me a greater appreciation for Conflux, though I still think that the set does not stand on its own as well as it should, and as well as most other sets do.)

Consequently, I have some new decks to play, and we will be spending a significant amount of time in Paul's three-season porch. He has a very nice setup there, with a great environment for calm, strategic thinking. We will play Magic, chat, play Magic, eat, play Magic, play Eurorails, and play some more Magic.

This sort of vacation is not for everyone. There is no camping, there is no large expenditure of money, there is no seeing of major sites. But there is a chance to play, to put my mind into solving fun tactical problems, to chat with a good friend. Earlier, I used the word "retreat" and I guess that's a pretty good word for it. The word conjures up images of seclusion and meditation. Well, Peshtigo is pretty isolated in itself, and certainly the porch at Paul's provides a further level of isolation. I won't be "meditating" in the traditional sense, but I can tell you that, to my brain, hours of playing a strategy game can be extremely relaxing and mind-clearing.

I don't really look at vacations as being "productive." But they are useful in the sense that a good vacation removes stress and helps recharge my internal energy for other parts of my "real life." It's why I can't quite understand people who insist that every vacation be filled with constructive endeavors, or with expensive trips. These types of vacations have their place in my life, but they cannot be the only vacations I have. Even more incomprehensible are people who don't take their vacations. I'll never give up vacation -- I need them too much.

And I need one now. I'll be away for a bit, recharging myself, enjoying a friend.

And playing Magic.