Last weekend I celebrated one of my favorite rites of spring – the end of “tax season”.   Instead of staying home and beginning to dig out from under my personal (and embarrassingly large) backlog ,  I dropped Blue the Schnauzer off with friends, left food for the cats, loaded Ace the Scottie into the car, and took off for Mendocino. 

The weather gods were smiling and there was not cloud in the sky as we cruised through Anderson Valley on our way north.  Apple orchards were in bloom, vineyards were coming to life, and wildflowers dotted the landscape.

Ace and I spent two days walking  around Mendocino and Fort Bragg, having lunch at restaurants (where Ace, as usual, was much admired), reading (I read, Ace napped on the foot of the bed), and just staring out at the ocean.  We returned home yesterday afternoon.  I am feeling renewed and ready to start getting my personal stuff back on track.

This was the first time in 20 odd years in public accounting that I have left town right after tax season, and I find myself wondering why the heck I never have before.  I worked hard and deserved a reward.  I gave myself one and now I feel ready to move forward with work and personal “clean up”. 

Go ahead and treat yourself now and again.  You don’t need anyone’s permission but your own.