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Summer Fun Contest - Staying Home!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with New Paradigm Partners LLC EB #1326335

This is an entry for the Positive Attitude for the Weary Soul Group Contest! | Fun in the Sun While the Business Still Runs!  Join in on the Challenge!

Mary & I love to travel, and our trips are generally to places as unlike our usual surroundings as possible - our last big trip was an adventure expedition to Antarctica, with Buenos Aires tacked on the end. And we're planning to do the upper Amazon River next, along with a visit to some friends in Florianopolis, Brazil.

But we've never been able to make those kind of trips work well in the summer - there's usually too much going on in our business to allow that much time away at that time of year. So we do our trips in the late fall or winter, and that works great - business is slower and it's easier to leave our mess in someone else's hands. And an added side benefit is that tourist season is over, so we don't have to deal with a lot of crowds and higher prices.

But with everything going on during our busy time, we can get pretty fried and badly in need of a recharge. In order to compensate, we've turned spring and summer into an on-going vacation, with frequent little bits of highly-refreshing down time based on what's all around us. And that's easy to do, since we live in Colorado - so easy that, in a way, it's kind of like cheating.

Eagle Lake

Long summer days provide pleasant mornings for long walks with the dogs on the 6 miles of trails that surround the lakes where we live. In the late afternoon, we can sit on our deck and enjoy a bottle of wine and watch the Osprey snagging their dinner out of our lake. And as the suns sets, we'll head down to the dock - Mary will practice her fly-casting on the bass that the Osprey forgot, and I might take the kayak out for a sunset cruise. Or we might head downtown and and enjoy dinner on one of the many outdoor patios, people watching and just relaxing. There are a lot of things on offer here for entertainment - weekly free concerts in Old Town Square, the symphony, gallery walks, wine tastings, plays, festivals and much more.

On the weekends, business permitting, we can head up into the mountains - we know the places that aren't on the tourists' radar - for hiking, fishing or just a beautiful drive. Or we might drive down to Denver - less than an hour south - just because we can - there's always a lot to do there. Or we'll just stay at home, play with the dogs, work on the garden, or lie in a hammock and read.

Somehow, we never get as burned out during the spring and summer - it's always easy to find fun summer things to do. But when winter comes, we're really ready for the big getaways!

Posted by
Mary & Dick

Mary & Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC
2601 S. Lemay Ave. #41
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-689-4663
www.maryanddick.com

 

Data Source: IRES MLS

Comments(12)

Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Dick you are so right - you're kind of cheating living in Colorado!  I loved living there high up in the mountains of Vail.  You're plan is much like ours.  Making the best of every day and our beautiful surroundings.  You live in Paradise!!

May 25, 2012 03:24 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Dick - I think you and Mary have the right idea.  And while you two are cheating in CO, Larry and I do the same in Florida!  We're all so lucky to have our health and to be able to enjoy every day without having to wait until vacation!

May 25, 2012 03:45 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Dick,

We do the same, we take side trips and like you, there are so many wonderful things to do and explore.  We also go when the tourists are not there, if it is the wine country or an adventure to the Channel Islands.  With the modern tech accesses, it makes it easier. A

May 25, 2012 04:13 AM
Suzanne McLaughlin
Sabinske & Associates, Inc. (Albertville, St. Michael) - Saint Michael, MN
Sabinske & Associates, Realtor

Dick, we hardly travel anymore.  Too many pets.  But, I am glad that you have the opportunity to get away.  As the pets go to their happy hunting grounds, I am pretty sure that we won't replace them.  And, perhaps we will have the opportunities to travel again.

May 25, 2012 04:36 AM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Isn't it wonderful to live in Colorado.  Sometimes it just feels like your on vacation and you get to sleep in your own bed!  LOL!

May 25, 2012 04:44 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

It is great that you can take moments here and there to enjoy ome downtime in scenic surroundings.

May 25, 2012 05:59 AM
Janis Borgueta
Newburgh, NY
Retired RE Salesperson

Down time being quite important.. it is great to travel at the end of summer.. when a good deal of the vacationers are back in school! This year we planned early September in Prague and Budapest. That leaves the summer for work ... and time to find the local things to enjoy.. and with that .. i'm sure a localism blog!! LOL.. but then i guess that means work? or just fun?

May 25, 2012 08:20 AM
Florida Tolbert Team Keller Williams Advantage
Keller Williams Advantage III Realty in Lake Nona - Orlando, FL
Keller Williams Land Luxury Division Specialist

Dick,

I am changing something up on this subject this year. 

For the last few years I have felt better spending my end of the year in some warm tropical destination, but last year, I took the DECEMBER CHALLENGE and worked everyday and blogged that progress every day as part of the contest.

When the dust settled, I had worked my first full December in nearly 5 years had my best December since 2004 with 19 closed transactions in Dec.

So I am thinking while all you many agents enjoy your holidays off with the family, I and my team will vacation in July or Aug and then be reenergized and ready to ROCK OUT the end of the year. 

May 25, 2012 11:27 AM
Jeffrey Funk
eXp Realty - Windermere, FL
Broker Associate | Team Leader

Dick - Side trips here and there are just as important. Even when you take a moment to smell the roses in your own backyard - ENJOY it!

Have a great summer,

Jeff

May 25, 2012 09:41 PM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Yeah, the snow finally melted here yesterday, and today, Suzanne blogged about the beaches opening today.  Go figure.  I am still wearing my flannerl shirt today. 

May 26, 2012 06:19 AM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

Balance is surely key to success...and we all need some down time. As you....I could say I can just take a weekend to the other side of the island...but somehow...getting far away was the only way I could really feel rejuvenated. I kept thinking everyone would not live without me. WRONG. It can be done with a good plan in place!

May 27, 2012 02:29 PM
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

Good Morning Dick, It is very similar for me, it is hard if not near impossible to take vacations when it is busy so i choose the times where it slows down due to the season or take a day or 2 in the summer to re-charge and get some needed rest. Have a great day 

May 27, 2012 11:26 PM