alrighty, let’s try this again. after having spent about 2 hours plugging away at this week’s blog post my website browser decided that it did not want to save my post. needless to say i was completely upset and flustered by this unfortunate event, but i felt that i could not give up on this post.

this week i plan on keeping the blog short and sweet for you all seeing that the last few have been a bit lengthier then usual. additionally, i am have been exhausted these past few days so i do not wish to spend the night typing away. your girl could use a vacay! then again who wouldn’t want to take a vacation? which is actually in sorts the the topic for today’s post.

funny enough, i had actually planned a vacation for this weekend (so soon!), but things came up and the trip had to be postponed to a better time. was i bummed? very! but it also would have been more stressful to travel and who wants to be stressed during their vacation? not me that is for sure. so i started thinking; what can i do to make it feel as if i am on a vacation? and came up with this lil list of what i hope are helpful ideas.

here are some ways to bring the vacation to you

switch it up: traveling is great because it is a change of pace from our everyday life. if you are like me you might find yourself getting caught up in the 500 billon things you feel need to get done that you forget to make time for getting out and being social. if this is the case i encourage you to make plans with your friends or go to an event that is happening soon. if you are completely the opposite and always out and about, change the pace by slowing down a bit. spend some time at home. relax. be still. read a book, watch a movie. whatever it is take it easy.
try something new: another wonderful thing about vacations is the excitement and thrill of experiencing new things. whether that means tasting new food, seeing new sights, or experiencing new things there is always something provoking about what we have yet to know. to your surprise though there are sure to be plenty of things in your own town or neighboring cities that you have yet to experience. maybe it is that new restaurant you and your significant other have been talking about trying, or maybe there is a hike you and your friends have never explored. even if you really feel there is nothing more in your town for you to possibly do or would ever want to do i challenge you to try something you never thought you would (who knows you might end up liking it) or experience the spots you’ve been to time and time again but experiencing it differently. plan out a scavenger hunt and race your friends to see who finds the most things on the list in a certain amount of time. if they don’t take a picture with the item or thing they lose points. adding a little twist to everyday places can keep the fun of traveling alive without the same cost of a plane ticket!
relax and rejuvenate: self care is so important and often times we let this on slide from our daily routine, but when we travel we often find ourselves focusing on this, or at least to some extent. don’t wait until you take a trip to slow down. we need to take care of our bodies and minds if we want to be our best, most thrilling, vibrant selves. try to find ways to destress (that are healthy) in order to be stress free and calm just as a good vacation should. i personally love some self pamper; a bubble bath with a nice calming smelling candle lite (cozy comfort from Walmart is an ahhh-maz-ing! and super affordable option, just saying), and some peaceful mellow music; also face masks are absolutely lovely and help me feel as if all the nasty and negative things in me are being extracted from my body.
learn: while traveling we often find ourselves learning loads of new things as each place is unique in what is considered to be normal. from food, to clothes, to customs there is so much knowledge awaiting which is so fun and exciting to try. even just the other day at work i learned to make an origami heart from the Kanayama teacher. while it was only a couple fold i felt so much excitement that i wanted to show my new skill off to everyone. from there i even thought about future travels to Japan (which just to note did not only stem from an origami heart lol but who knows it just might). while heading to Japan in order to learn how to do origami is not always doable learning origami is much more possible. there are plenty of books online that guide you through step by step or YouTube videos are another great option in order to practice the craft. other interests could be learning a new language. for quite some time i have wanted to learn sign language, but there so many other languages to learn. maybe you prefer learning French. do it. this is the perfect opportunity to expand your skillset and knowledge.
connecting with yourself more: lastly, when i travel i tend to get more in-tune with myself, not to mention traveling is usually when my creative juices flow the most because travel allows me to slow down in order to think more freely and be more present. this presence further helps me have a greater appreciation for life and overall, it’s a pretty positive atmosphere to be in. this one is a bit harder though to in corporate at times, but i think one of the best ways to do so is to find some space and time each day to check in with yourself and remind yourself to focus on the positive.

when it is all said and done though life is based on perspective. how you choose to see things is up to you. how you respond is up to you. a good time is not set to certain things. anything could be a good time if you choose to make the most of it. so, bring the vacation to you!