I’m going on vacation next week. It’s been a while since I took time off from work. People keep saying I should “unplug” and be “disconnected”. They say things like you should “go away” and have some “alone” time.

I’ve always been interested in phrases and what people say. How we express ourselves, how we communicate comes from somewhere. Most people mean well. “I just want the best for you” is another one of those sayings you often hear.

So I take them up on the offer. I am leaving. Not too far, but away from office and work schedule. Disconnected from email and a ringing phone. A few days of hiking and staying in a cabin feels like what the doctor ordered and the more I think about it, the more I want to be there, in this place of separation.

It must be a statement of our society, of our way of life in this part of the world, when we have to find time to be at peace. We apologize for how busy we are this week and next. How we want to go somewhere, take a vacation, visit old friends in several states, but not now. We have a lot on our plate and there is no room for a side dish of what we know to be the healthiest part of the meal.

We stuff ourselves with what makes us anxious and sometimes sick. The main meal may be the most unhealthy. Getting up too early and going to bed too late. Everything else is a matter of missing deadlines and a pinch of “I’m late.”

Once in a while there is a dessert. Something that tastes good but isn’t too good for you in the long run. We eat a lot of desserts in America. It helps us momentarily forget the fullness of our plate.

The more I think about it, the more I want to be there. Away, unplugged, disconnected, alone. It sounds like such negative states of being, but they are actually side dishes of relaxation, peace and happiness. Like vegetables, they don’t look too good, but they do make you feel full and satisfied once you have them.

I imagine what would happen if we had vegetables more often. In some parts of the world, vegetables are eaten daily. Maybe not in big portions like we eat one or two a year, but a little in every dish, every day. Europeans call them siestas, and for many they are not optional but an integral part of the nutritional experience of each day.

I like the idea of ​​naps. When you have a little goodness every day, you worry less about how long you’ve been waiting for the goodness you’ve been waiting for so long.

So next week I’m trying a new diet. I’ll get some sleep, hike, stroll downtown, catch up with old friends, and stay away from all my work obligations.

My plate will be full but in a different way. This will be the best meal I’ve had in a while.

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Abe Villarreal writes about life and culture in America. He can be reached at [email protected].