麻豆传媒

It鈥檚 important to take a step back from your daily life every now and then, to take a breath and remove yourself from 鈥渢he routine鈥�.

These next two weeks are exactly what that鈥檚 all about for my coworkers and myself.

We鈥檙e shutting off the lights, locking the doors and closing up shop for our annual summer holiday break here at The Outlook.聽 Our vacation typically comes at about the same time every year within the first two weeks of August, so it鈥檚 become a specific time of the year that I look forward to.

I鈥檇 sure love to tell you that I have some lengthy, extravagant and illustrious multi-day trip planned that鈥檒l take me halfway around the world, but the truth is I don鈥檛.聽 These next couple of weeks are going to be a 鈥渟equel鈥� of sorts to last year鈥檚 summer break, in which I decided to seek out and further explore what we have right here in our home province of Saskatchewan: the sights, the sounds, the landscapes, the experiences, and the sheer simple joy of it all.

I definitely have my share of useful resources when it comes to planning any adventures.聽 I picked up a copy of 鈥楾he Photographer鈥檚 Guide to Saskatchewan鈥� while I was in Moose Jaw last summer, and I told myself I鈥檇 put it to use 鈥渘ext year鈥�.聽 Well, here we are.聽 On top of that, my neighbour Alice lent me a book with some further recommendations on my travels, and my sister Laurel event sent me a fresh copy of the newest travel guide from Tourism Saskatchewan.聽 With all three of these literary assistants, I think I鈥檝e got every interesting nook, cranny and crevice of the province covered should I want to seek them out.

What exactly do I have planned, you ask?聽 Well, it鈥檚 varied.聽 I managed to get a head start by shooting up to Cochin a couple weekends back to check out the only lighthouse we have in the province, so *that* was checked off the list.聽 Other destinations may include:

Candle Lake.聽 I mean, this isn鈥檛 a surprise by any stretch, is it?聽 The old cabin of Uncle Keith鈥檚 is no longer habitable, but I still get a kick out of driving up and spending the day up at the lake.聽 I鈥檒l fish, I鈥檒l swim, I鈥檒l see if I can check out the local wildlife, and I鈥檒l take lots of photos.

Regina.聽 I鈥檓 one of those country music fanatics that鈥檚 headed to one of the Garth Brooks concerts.聽 Outside of that, I鈥檓 hoping to check out the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and maybe take in a movie at the IMAX Theatre.

Drumheller.聽 Yes, I鈥檓 planning on ONE trip outside the province to venture next door into the badlands of our neighbour next door in Alberta.聽 This is essentially what I鈥檓 calling 鈥淒inosaur Day鈥�; the Royal Tyrell Museum, the 鈥榃orld鈥檚 Largest Dinosaur鈥�, and anything else dino-related I can check out.聽 As well, just outside Drumheller is a suspension bridge near an old mine that apparently is worth checking out.

Prince Albert National Park.聽 This is a photography tour.聽 I鈥檓 grabbing both cameras, the tripod, a water bottle, and setting out to see what the wilds of the north may have to offer.聽 The cherry on top, and I鈥檓 crossing my fingers on this, is that I see some spectacular northern lights.

But while I鈥檓 excited about the prospects of doing some in-province exploring and capturing it, I think it鈥檚 just as important to refrain from over-booking oneself, and simply taking the time on some days and nights to kick back and enjoy the little things; a bonfire in the backyard, a family meal, or even something as simple as a good movie or even a nap.

After all, one of the joys of having extended time off from any job is being able to relax and recharge your batteries.聽 It goes without saying at the office that it鈥檚 been quite an interesting year so far, some of it stress-inducing on a whole new level, and I鈥檓 perfectly happy with taking a step back for a couple of weeks and letting that stress melt away.聽 I already have enough grey hair!

My goal for the next two weeks is to enjoy all of it, to put it simply.聽 I want to be in the moment of whatever I鈥檓 doing and take the time to reflect.聽 I want to remove myself from the news biz for a little bit and perhaps find some renewed energy for when I return.

In the end, I really just want to look back on this time and smile.

I鈥檒l see you in a few weeks.聽 I hope everyone else is enjoying the summer!

For this week, that鈥檚 been the Ruttle Report.