Today I Choose to be Recreating – How to be Recreating

Curtis’s health change threw a wrench into everything we thought we knew about our free time. The ostomy, the wound care, the bandages—suddenly, pools, beaches, and boats were off the table, at least temporarily. All the activities that had defined our relaxation and joy seemed impossible.

But life isn’t just about reinvention—sometimes it’s about reimagining familiar joys in new ways. We’ve been busy crafting what our leisure time looks like now: RV camping where we can sit reading in camp chairs next to a river, hiking stunning forests at our own pace, sightseeing from the comfort of our car, cooking delectable meals with more time and attention than we used to have.

We’ve had to reshape much in light of our circumstances, but we have. And what we’ve discovered is that the essence of what we loved—connection, beauty, adventure, peace—was never really about the specific activities. It was about being together in ways that fed our souls.

Today, I choose to reimagine what’s possible with the pieces I already have.

When Life Demands Creative Solutions

Finding new ways to experience familiar pleasures isn’t about settling for less—it’s about discovering that joy is more flexible and resilient than we often realize. When circumstances force us to abandon our usual approaches, we often uncover possibilities we never would have explored otherwise.

Curtis and I loved the water, but what we really loved was the peace, the beauty, the sense of escape from daily concerns. RV camping by a river gives us that same sense of tranquility, just accessed differently. Hiking forests provides the same connection to nature we found on beaches, with the bonus of discovering new landscapes we might never have prioritized before.

This kind of creative adaptation requires shifting focus from what you can’t do to what might be possible within your current reality.

The Art of Reimagining Joy

True recreation—the kind that genuinely restores your spirit—isn’t dependent on specific activities or perfect conditions. It’s about creating experiences that align with what you actually need: connection, beauty, challenge, peace, adventure, or whatever feeds your particular soul.

Identify the essence. What did your previous favorite activities actually provide? Was it physical challenge, social connection, creative expression, or peaceful solitude? Once you understand the underlying need, you can find multiple ways to meet it.

Start with what’s available. Instead of mourning what’s no longer possible, get curious about what is. We discovered that RV camping opened up a whole world of accessible natural beauty we’d never taken time to explore.

Embrace the learning curve. New approaches often require developing different skills or adjusting expectations. Cooking elaborate meals became more appealing when we had the time and space that came with slower-paced camping.

Find the unexpected gifts. Our new recreation patterns have brought surprises we never would have anticipated: deeper conversations during longer car rides, discovering hidden gems in state parks, developing new cooking skills.

Relationship Recreation

Some of the most important reshaping happens in how couples or families learn to enjoy time together under new circumstances. Curtis’s health changes didn’t just affect his individual activities—they required us to rediscover shared experiences that worked for both of us.

This process can actually strengthen relationships by forcing you to communicate more clearly about what you each need and value. Instead of automatically defaulting to familiar patterns, you have conversations about what kinds of experiences matter most to both people.

We learned that our connection was never really about boats or beaches—it was about having uninterrupted time together away from daily responsibilities, sharing beautiful experiences, and maintaining our sense of adventure even if that adventure takes different forms now.

Practical Recreation Strategies

Reshaping your leisure time requires both creativity and practical planning, especially when dealing with health considerations or other limiting factors.

Research adaptive options. Almost every traditional activity has accessible alternatives or modifications. Water lovers can find lakefront cabins with easy access. Hikers can discover scenic drives with short, manageable walking trails.

Invest in comfort and convenience. Good camping chairs transformed our outdoor experiences. Quality, easy-to-use equipment makes new activities more enjoyable and sustainable.

Plan for your specific needs. Our RV camping works because we can bring everything Curtis needs for wound care while still getting away from home. Successful recreation meets you where you are.

Stay open to evolution. What works now might not work later, and what doesn’t work now might become possible again. Flexibility keeps recreation alive over time.

The Gift of Forced Creativity

While we didn’t choose Curtis’s health challenges, they’ve led us to discoveries we might never have made otherwise. Some of our most peaceful moments now happen in places we never would have visited when we were focused on water activities.

This kind of imposed creativity often reveals that our attachment to specific activities was partly habit and partly fear of trying something new. When circumstances force you out of familiar patterns, you sometimes discover preferences and pleasures you didn’t know you had.

Limitations can become liberation when they free you from assumptions about what you “should” be doing and open space for experimenting with what might actually serve you better.

Recreation as Self-Care

True recreation isn’t just about having fun—it’s about restoring your energy, maintaining your connections, and keeping your sense of wonder alive. When you approach it from this perspective, the specific activities become less important than their effect on your overall wellbeing.

Our new patterns of camping, hiking, and elaborate cooking don’t just fill time—they provide the restoration, beauty, and shared adventure that keep our relationship strong and our spirits engaged with life.

Today, I choose to craft experiences that nourish my soul, regardless of whether they look like what I used to think recreation should be.

Because the goal isn’t to recreate the past—it’s to keep creating joy, connection, and renewal in whatever forms are available to you now.