Slump-cation
While at a local women's conference I was chatting with some of the participants at my Viva la Vida Travel booth in the market place. One lady in particular got me thinking about resort only vacations. You know the type, where you go to a tropical destination, stay at an all-inclusive resort, belly up to the swim up bar and then never leave for one full week. I'm always interested in hearing about people's vacations so I asked her, "How was it? What'd you do?" Her response was, "Absolutely nothing. We never left the resort." As we continued our conversation, she went on to say how when she returned home she was so stressed out because of all the work she had to do, then she got sick, blah blah blah. We started to talk about how maybe those vacations where you do absolutely nothing may be more detrimental to your well being than say a vacation where you are more active. Let's be real here, we can't make up for lost sleep that we may suffer from in our daily lives and we can't undo stressors that linger in our bodies from the daily havoc that is our routine life. We simply can't "catch up" on relaxation ~ it's not possible. Is it possible to rest and relax while on vacation? Of course! But does a week of doing nothing but laying around at the beach really revive us and leave us refreshed and ready to tackle our regular lives? I don't know but I'm starting to question that very idea.
Isn't the idea of a vacation to get away from it all, refresh our senses and bring us back to life while incorporating elements of relaxation and self-indulgences into our precious days away from routine life? I'd say that's the overall goal. So I'm going to challenge you all as you entertain the idea of taking your next vacation. How about this idea. . .
How about instead of simply allowing yourself to get so removed from your life by lounging it away that you take an active role in your travel life by incorporating activities that inspire, educate and improve your overall mental and physical well-being? What we really want out of our travels is to walk away feeling better and more refreshed and not worn down from our days of doing nothing. Remember, a body in motion stays in motion. Face it, being active makes us feel alive. It inspires us to think differently and to do differently. I'm not saying you ought not lounge around at the beach or sip drinks at the pool bar but what I am saying is that in order to get the most out of your vacation, be an active traveler. You are, after all investing into your well being when you book a vacation. Don't you want to walk away from it feeling like it was a worthwhile investment as opposed to coming home and feeling overwhelmed? In my opinion, the only way to really feel good and refreshed from your travels is to have pushed yourself into new situations that reignite your soul while balancing it with those sought after quiet moments of reflection on the beach. This is where the transformational change of travel happens. You get out of the resort, you experience something completely new to you and then you go back to your hotel and reflect upon the day all the while your soul is thanking you for having reawakened it from it's slumber.
Here is where the fun part of an active travel experience comes into play. You've been on vacation, you've done things you've never thought you'd do before, you've met amazing people while out exploring, you've tasted new foods that you never knew existed and now, you have memories that will last a lifetime. Imagine the conversation you will have with friends and family members as you recount the stories of your adventures and blissful moments watching sunsets with your new friends versus the conversation you'd have if you were only able to say, "While of vacation, I simply did nothing." As you re-tell your stories, you will have a smile on your face and sparkle in your eye as you re-visit all of the adventures and in turn, your friends will be inspired to be active travelers and guess what? You may have just changed someones life simply by being an actively involved in your travels and thoroughly embracing your vacation. Isn't that cool?
Everyone fantasizes about simply doing nothing on vacation but in reality, doing nothing does not give back to ourselves in the way we would hope it would, it winds up leaving us a bit more empty than we started out. On your next vacation, skip the slump-cation and opt for a more active and involved experience ~ your soul will thank you. Trust me on this.
Viva la Vida!
Isn't the idea of a vacation to get away from it all, refresh our senses and bring us back to life while incorporating elements of relaxation and self-indulgences into our precious days away from routine life? I'd say that's the overall goal. So I'm going to challenge you all as you entertain the idea of taking your next vacation. How about this idea. . .
How about instead of simply allowing yourself to get so removed from your life by lounging it away that you take an active role in your travel life by incorporating activities that inspire, educate and improve your overall mental and physical well-being? What we really want out of our travels is to walk away feeling better and more refreshed and not worn down from our days of doing nothing. Remember, a body in motion stays in motion. Face it, being active makes us feel alive. It inspires us to think differently and to do differently. I'm not saying you ought not lounge around at the beach or sip drinks at the pool bar but what I am saying is that in order to get the most out of your vacation, be an active traveler. You are, after all investing into your well being when you book a vacation. Don't you want to walk away from it feeling like it was a worthwhile investment as opposed to coming home and feeling overwhelmed? In my opinion, the only way to really feel good and refreshed from your travels is to have pushed yourself into new situations that reignite your soul while balancing it with those sought after quiet moments of reflection on the beach. This is where the transformational change of travel happens. You get out of the resort, you experience something completely new to you and then you go back to your hotel and reflect upon the day all the while your soul is thanking you for having reawakened it from it's slumber.Here is where the fun part of an active travel experience comes into play. You've been on vacation, you've done things you've never thought you'd do before, you've met amazing people while out exploring, you've tasted new foods that you never knew existed and now, you have memories that will last a lifetime. Imagine the conversation you will have with friends and family members as you recount the stories of your adventures and blissful moments watching sunsets with your new friends versus the conversation you'd have if you were only able to say, "While of vacation, I simply did nothing." As you re-tell your stories, you will have a smile on your face and sparkle in your eye as you re-visit all of the adventures and in turn, your friends will be inspired to be active travelers and guess what? You may have just changed someones life simply by being an actively involved in your travels and thoroughly embracing your vacation. Isn't that cool?
Everyone fantasizes about simply doing nothing on vacation but in reality, doing nothing does not give back to ourselves in the way we would hope it would, it winds up leaving us a bit more empty than we started out. On your next vacation, skip the slump-cation and opt for a more active and involved experience ~ your soul will thank you. Trust me on this.
Viva la Vida!
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