Up in the air at 35,000 ft, finally taking my first holiday since starting my business, and I find it surprisingly easy to relax. Maybe it’s the idea of a new adventure or the anticipation of new experiences.

Maybe, it’s because I have assembled an amazing team who will keep my business running effortlessly while I’m away. Or maybe it’s because I have the entire row of seats to myself — hahaha!

Time off and relaxing are not in my vocabulary. It’s been more than 2500 days since my last holiday– yep 7 years. In fact, I’ve probably taken no more than 5 days off during that time. That is one of the drawbacks about working with animals; if you’re truly serious about taking care of people’s pets, you’re on call 24/7, 365 days a year.

I love the idea of finding that work-life balance, but personally I think it’s a myth. Life is all about ebbs and flows and you just have to roll with it.

Now I’m lucky in that I get paid to play and I have the best clients who truly value all I do. A normal day is spending 12 hours outside with the dogs. For me this is my passion; it energizes me. If I was stuck in an office, I would have used every vacation day allotted to me, so I could be outside experiencing new adventures.

That being said, there came a time recently, where a good friend sat me down and told me if I didn’t take time for myself that eventually I’d burn out.  She saw that while I love what I do, I was working way more than I was playing (dogs not included). She told me to be selfish and put ME first. Because I have huge goals with regards to my business, I finally listened.

To me, travel isn’t an escape, but a gateway to new adventures. So I’m off to Costa Rica to recharge where you guessed it; I’ll still be outside and active, but this time no dogs allowed…

Sorry doggies, I think I might have to make this my new yearly ritual.

About the Author

Corry Hamilton is the owner of Taking The Lead (www.takingthelead.ca) — a pet care business that focuses on pet nutrition and well-being. Like many entrepreneurs, her journey towards creating a business of her own wasn't a straight path, but she believes that no matter what life throws at you, you can always pick yourself up and move on. You never know where it may take you and make all your dreams come true. You can check out what Corry is up to on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TakingTheLead.CorryHamilton and Twitter: https://twitter.com/TakingTheLead07