Short and sweet: nine lessons I learned from my weekend away in the woods.

1. Using a saw and a sledge hammer is incredibly cathartic. Mad? Upset? Stressed? Answer = find an enormous log and do whatever it takes to break it in half.

2. “No Service” should become your two favorite words at least once a year. The views beyond the screen of your iPhone are worth taking an extra day to respond to that email.

3. Reading a good book by flashlight underneath the stars can bring you more peace of mind than the best yoga class or any bite from your favorite chocolate bar. Okay, that last part may be a lie. But it’s an incredibly close call!

4. Rain is no reason to stay indoors. You’ll dry off eventually. Go outside and play in the mud like you were a little kid. It’s good for you.

5. Conflicts, especially in scheduling, can be adapted to. If the cause is important enough, it’s always worth the compromise.

6. The company you keep and make time for is a true reflection of yourself and your values. Choose wisely.

7. You don’t come across double rainbows often. Pull over to the side of the road and take a picture.

8. Give me a waterfall, I’ll climb it. Give me a river, I’ll cross it. Don’t say no to adventure when it’s right in front of your face.

9. No matter where your travels take you, the most important places are often the ones that have allowed you to grow: emotionally, professionally, spiritually. Those places never really leave you, not if you don’t let them.

Get away while you can, even just for a short while. Somehow, leaving always ends up bringing you back right where you belong.