The ride out to the sea was a hair-raising experience. Glad that I didn't join them!

This ranks as my worst weekend getaway so far. I was in cold turkey for 3 days, 2 nights. My fingers were itching for the keyboard and the mouse. I felt trapped and totally forgotten by the world. The only saving grace was my story book, The Kite Runner (Yes, I finally got to read it! It was sooooo GOOD!), which I devoured in 2 days. After that, the rest of the weekend was simply nothingness and boredom.

The clear blue sea and sandy white beach were my only companions. The swooshing sound of the waves was therapeutic initially, but it couldn't keep me in a zen-like mode for more than half an hour. I just felt that I needed to do something more constructive, instead of idling my time away at the beach. I needed to check my emails, blog, visit the forums, check out the online stores for new products, set the exam papers, finish up my paper work, etc. Basically, I needed to do something… anything but nothing!

I wonder if that's the problem with being too accustomed to a hectic lifestyle where every minute of the day counts. Life seems to be a mad rush everyday. We need fast food to eat quickly, fast cars to get us to the destination sooner and fast gadgets to double the work in half the time.

I no longer know how to slow down and appreciate the simplicity of life. As I looked at the locals there, they seemed contented with their lot. They didn't have much, but they were happy.

Perhaps it's time to shift my life to a lower gear.