– Little Adventures for Longer Lives –

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Ela and I like to stay fit and actively involved in life, so we subscribe to regular recreation. Not only vacations: we enjoy those when we can, but they’re big chunks of time that take lots of money and planning to use. But as a supplement, we take simple recreation every week or two; it’s more spontaneous and easier to budget than a big vacation. And it definitely improves the quality of our lives.

Refresh and Restore

By definition, recreation refreshes and restores, and it’s essential to living longer, happier lives. It’s our habit to keep at least one recreational event posted on our calendar. We go through the week’s routine (yes, retired people have routines) anticipating our little adventures, preparing for our next excursion… our days more interesting because we have something planned. Mostly little things; biking to a nearby village, hiking a new trail (as a couple or with a group), site-seeing, even simple rest and relaxation. Because my partner and I like lots of physical activity, almost everything we do includes walking.

One of my favorite excursions is to the Tatra Mountains near Zakopane. It’s a six-hour drive to the rocky range in eastern Poland; a great trip for a long weekend. I spent eight years living in Idaho, so having these mountains nearby makes me feel right at home. We exercise, refresh our bodies, and circulate fresh air through our brains.

Make It Easy to Do

We would spend more time in Zakopane, but it’s too far from Strzelin to visit more than a couple times each year. Closer to home are the mountains on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. Karkonosze National Park and Karpacz feed our appetites for hiking and we can make it a day’s trip, if necessary. Hiking, eating, and talking on the trail together are activities that take only an hour or two to plan. And “easier to plan” makes it easier to do.

Doing something for recreation is essential for good physical and mental health. All it really has to be is some sort of action or activity that is distinguishable from the daily routine. You need separation, or there is no recreation.

Get Away

I’ll share a good example; gardening is fun but not recreation. Our home is surrounded by a garden that Ela created 15 years ago. Giant hedges and pine trees protect ornamental and flowering shrubs of all shapes and sizes. Dozens of plants need our regular attention; watering, feeding, pruning and trimming, mowing, and new flowers to plant in new seasons.

It’s a hobby and we enjoy it, but it does not qualify as recreation because garden maintenance is part of our domestic routine. As much as we enjoy gardening (like many people truly enjoy their jobs), it doesn’t count as recreation. We leave the house and garden to hike or site-see, and we do it once a month, at least.

Site-Seeing

Local history and landmarks are a source of easy recreation. A day-trip to the lake for a picnic or a road trip to a ghost town, maybe a quick visit to a place of interest in the next county; whatever your state or region has to offer in the way of distraction is good.

Here in Poland, medieval castles are a major attraction. Experiencing history that dates back a thousand years is mind-boggling for me and probably most Americans. I can push a weeks-worth of old thoughts out of my mind during a half-day’s walk around a castle imagining its glory days. When I was a school boy, we read about a few of the famous artists and scientists from the late Middle Ages, but book learning was no substitute for standing where those historical figures stood, feeling their surroundings, and understanding them as humans just like us in another time.

Touring historical sites is great recreation because it stimulates the body and the mind. On our never-ending tour of Poland, we visit two or three castles each year.

One Thing Leads to Another

We were driving to Castle Ksiaz, a clifftop castle amid a dramatic forest where we take everyone who visits us. While waiting patiently to cross a busy intersection in Lagiewniki, Ela nonchalantly commented as she pointed down the highway to the left…

“That’s the way to Duszniki.”

I laughed because the sound of the word tickled my ears.

“Duszniki,” I repeated so I’d remember the cool name. “Tell me more.”

“Sometimes it’s fun to do nothing. At sanatoriums, they have mineral baths from local springs, many kinds of therapies. Can be such situation where the government helps to pay. We recognize the value of such activities. And the facilities are very comfortable. Like hotels.”

Zdroj Means Spa

In the district of Poland near the Czech border, there are spa towns built around mineral water springs and into the forested surroundings. Destinations like Polanica and Duszniki are suffixed with ‘-Zdroj’, which means ‘spa’ in Polish. People come from all over Poland and surrounding countries during vacations for – you guessed it – recreation.

Ela looked online and called a couple friends, and we booked a few nights at a hotel in Duszniki walking distance from the city center. Our short stay was remarkably relaxing. We were refreshed and restored in the ambience created by the cobblestone streets, generous walkways, attention paid to simple things; a cultural maturity that exudes a peaceful calm. The memory of the park in Duszniki, the little Chopin museum, and the water foundation that danced to his music is calming in itself. And, of course, there’s the mineral water…

Last spring, we did the spa thing for a weekend in Polanica. The hotel served a nutritional breakfast and late lunch, and guests scheduled sessions through the afternoon. Massage therapy, cryo-therapy, skin therapy, aromatherapy; all provided by professional hotel staff. And in the evening, we’d go out for a walk and enjoy dinner in the town. If we weren’t in the hotel getting healthier, we were out in the town getting happy. It cost more than hiking, but easy weekends being romantic are recreational, too.

Simply Time for Yourself

Honestly, it doesn’t matter what type of recreation we take as long as we take it regularly. As long as we spend time away from the daily grind to refresh our perspectives and restore our energies, we are building happier and healthier lives.

One cool caveat: recreation evolves. It’s been my experience that one adventure leads to another – even the little ones – and they expand or change. You’ll meet people on the trail that attract you to new hobbies and friends. Or you’ll see something that brings you back again… signs along the way that point you in a new direction. Recreate with enthusiasm and an open mind; it can open doors to new adventures and contribute to a longer, happier life.

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