I had never heard the acronym "FOMO" until this past weekend. It sounds like most moms use this term to describe their children - who try and try and try to stay awake so that they don't feel as though they missed out on something, but are struggling to keep their eyes open or their head upright.
I think that most of us have a certain level of this fear at different times in our lives. Once becoming an adult, sleep becomes a very vital part of that person's day. Naps are cherished and a solid sleep can make you feel completely refreshed... With that said, it's tough to voluntarily back out of plans or leave somewhere early, simply because of being tired.
So, the decision has to be made between having a great sleep and waking up feeling better in the morning, OR, staying up later at the expense of my health.
For the average person, staying awake to spend quality time with friends is a no-brainer. We tend to sacrifice our slumbers for fear of missing out on fun... Yeah the next day may not feel great, but most of us can bounce back relatively quickly.
This past weekend, I definitely had a 'fear of missing out'. I was able to camp with some friends for my birthday. The weekend was amazing, despite some rainy weather, and it was one of the best birthday weekends that I have ever had.
There is, however, a camping tradition that I had to forego this year.
There are a few specific traditions that go along with my camping trips:
1. I always put a bouquet of flowers into an empty plastic bottle.
2. I play games during the day and at night around the fire.
3. I boil water over the fire, make tea and Baileys, and participate in long, late-night heart-to-heart conversations.
#3 is one of my absolute favorite experiences. It is one of the best ways to truly get to know someone.
Unfortunately, the weekend was so amazing and so exciting (yet painful and rainy) that I HAD to go to bed early each night in order to prevent an episode.
I am SO incredibly happy that I was even physically ABLE to camp this Summer, but I feel as though I missed out on some great conversations and card games with some spectacular new friends.
It's a pretty tough choice, and a part of me thought it would be worth it to risk requiring a longer recuperation time, but the last thing I wanted to do was cut the mini vacation short... I didn't want to have to leave because I felt SO unwell... So I chose to hit the sack early and sleep in so that I could enjoy the rest of the trip.
I know it was the smart choice.
I knew that I needed to make the smart choice.
I simply miss those late-night heart-to-heart conversations.