At the beginning of the summer I was experiencing a minor burn out. After a busy year, who doesn’t? So to counteract said burn out I began planning my first-ever really-real vacation.

It didn’t work out so well.

Lots of things popped up including family and unforseeable work obligations. So, instead of lounging on a beach in Hawaii drinking something I can’t pronounce out of a coconut, I am sitting at my desk at Associated Advertising, answering lovingly nagging phone calls from my mother, painting my living room, spackling the basement and writing blog posts.

Which is great! Because I’ve discovered something just as good as a real vacation on a sunny beach in Hawaii surrounded by attractive natives. That’s a lie, but still … As always, my Grandmother’s Redbook has the solution to my problems: Mental Vacation! So if you, like me, find yourself stuck doing what I like to call the same-ols, take a mental vacation. And while you’re at it, take off early tonight, put your feet up and ignore that phone call from your mother.