sarahwilliamsandco

During my holidays over the last few years I’ve tried to decipher what makes an optimum trip for me. I think it’s easy to get overly stressed out on holiday when we should be having fun. Our stress often begins in the packing stages (see last week’s blog post: https://sarahwilliamsandco.com/2019/04/04/minimalist-packing-list/) and lasts all the way to the ignored dirty suitcase two week’s after you get home. It should not be like this, am I right? So here’s a few tips to help you have a boss vacation whilst also remembering to keep self-care at the for front of your mind.

1. It’s super fun to try and pack eighteen different things into one day, and if you’re on a short trip it’s often the only way to see everything but try and be realistic. Timings you plan beforehand will always go awry because tourists. They’re the worst. Also you might want to stay longer at somewhere you like a lot. You’re going to have to prioritise so that if you don’t get everywhere you’ll be happy with what you managed to see.

2. Holiday walking pace. That’s something my sister invented. You have a home pace which involves marching to work, around the supermarket and such but on holiday you’re supposed to stroll. You want to actually enjoy yourself and take things in, not just tick them off a list.

3. Try not to have too tight of a budget. Obviously way easier said than done. But whilst you’re saving maybe try and keep a little bit back that you haven’t assigned to a daily budget. That way if you’re sat by the Seine having the time of your life and don’t want to go home then you don’t have to. Have the extra glass of wine because you will never be there in that exact moment again.

4. If you want to lie in, fucking lie in. I don’t get this whole waking up at eight am on holiday and then running around until you pass out from exhaustion. Don’t forget you’re on holiday. You’re literally supposed to be having a break. When you go home you’ll probably be back to the working life grind. You can get up early then. Remember to relax, the place will still be there when you wake up. Allow yourself to sleep past twelve if you’ve been out the night before enjoying the booze.

5. Make your trip your own. What I mean by that is research the place you’re going to. Don’t just hit the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. By all means visit them. I’m in Paris right now and I’ve been to all of them! But finds ways to make the city you’re own. I like to find amazing veggie food using HappyCow. I love to find well-known and hidden away bookshops and spending all my money and time there. I love finding any park, locating the fountain (they’ve all got one) and then just sitting there in the sun listening to the water. I’m actually sat in Jardin des Tuileries right now writing this! I like to find alternative bars and an Irish pub cos I just think that’s hilarious. Take the time to do things other people won’t ever do because that’s what gets you up in the morning.

6. And duh, always remember to have fun! Sounds like an easy thing to do but sometimes it’s not. So give yourself that minute to fume and the person who just pushed in front of you on the metro but then release it and carry on with your excellent day.

Paris (Ooh La La) – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals