At one of my first EWN luncheons ever I sat next to a self-employed career counselor who told me that every six weeks she took a week off from her very intense schedule. Since she was her own boss and was responsible for her calendar, it made sense that she could book her appointments and vacations to suit her needs. “You can do that?” I wondered to myself.

I have never forgotten that detail and have worked towards emulating it ever since she mentioned it close to 15 years ago. As I write this today, I am sitting in the cafe at Kripalu where I’ve just spent the last two nights on a mini-vacaction. For those of you who know Kripalu, two days feels much longer. It’s serene, low-key and unplugged. (I’m in the only wired section just for the duration of writing this entry, I promise. Oh, and checking email…)

Yesterday, after a pre-dawn gentle yoga class, breakfast and a guided hike up Olivia’s Lookout, I participated in a Sharing Circle led by Ken Nelson. I knew I wanted to attend this, not only for the opportunity to take stock of my life at the moment, but primarily because Ken is a gifted teacher. I had taken his 3-day workshop, Creating Powerful Experiential Workshops, in preparation for my retreat offerings which began several years ago. It was Ken who taught me how to structure the days, create interactivity and variety, allow for deeper trust and sharing.

Last year, just around the time of the financial meltdown, Ken and I partnered to offer a Create Your Own Future weekend experience at Kripalu. Needless to say, not many people were investing in a future that was hanging precariously in the balance globally. Now that the population has adjusted to the ‘new normal,’ and with the happy coincidence of running into Ken yesterday, we both acknowledged a desire to put our offering out again. We look forward to booking time at Kripalu for a Friday-Sunday workshop in 2010 for anyone looking to design how they want their futures to look–vacations included.