I have two versions of a Perfect Day. Today I had version #1: the off-duty day. Off-duty Perfect Day has four simple ingredients:

• A beautiful place (great weather helps)
• Wonderful food
• My husband and kids plus a few other family members or friends
• A great book to read between activities

Today’s Perfect Day was in the Adirondacks. We spent the whole day on and around Schroon Lake (beautiful place– check) including a cruise around the lake with the pontoon boat, admiring the bright foliage. We ate lunch at a ice cream parlor that used to be a one-room schoolhouse. (Wonderful food– check.) My whole family was together the entire day, laughing and talking. Both my kids were lovable, fun, and gave lots of hugs and snuggles. (Family–check.) In my few minutes of downtime, I read the new Margaret Atwood book. (Checklist complete.)

The Off-Duty Perfect Day is fairly easy to manufacture. It takes some effort to plan, but as long as my husband and I are looking out for weekend opportunities, we can make it happen at least a few times a season. My second version of a perfect day is a bit more elusive, but it starts with something ubiquitous: a normal workday.

The Workday Perfect Day has all the elements of a normal day but with some enhancements. On a Workday Perfect Day, I’m teaching some of my favorite students. My lessons go smoothly, with everyone showing up on time/prepared/eager to learn music. I have a full schedule without any stressful extras, like meetings or parent phone calls. The time not spent teaching is spent working on fulfilling creative projects, related either to school or my writing work. On a Workday Perfect Day, I’ll have slept well the night before and spent the first hour of the day writing. I’ll also find time for exercise and meditation. I’ll eat clean (low-carb, high-protein and vegetable) but look forward to a small treat at night. In the evening, my family will all be home and we’ll have time to do something together, like a walk on the rail trail, a mini-dance party, and reading great books together. After my kids go to bed, I won’t have any more chores to do; I’ll have time to take a hot, relaxing bath, watch an episode of a favorite TV show with my husband, and go to bed with a great book.

There’s really no telling when a Workday Perfect Day will happen, but when it does, it makes me just as intensely grateful for my life as an Off-Duty Perfect Day. And both days are even better when I know that there’s potential for the opposite version in the near future (when I’m working hard, I like knowing there’s a day off coming; when I have a day off, I’m more excited to work).

What’s your version of a Perfect Day?