This year has been ahhhhhmazing for my passport, heart, and I. The Hurray Vacay has taken me around the world. What started as a simple trip to Florida last year (when it was then called Hurray Road Trip) with my friend and photographer, Becky Yee, turned into several dreams come true. Many people have told me that they are jealous of our trips around the world. But the truth is, you don’t have to be.
Throughout my times in Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala I’ve shared a lot of blog posts, videos, and photos. You can see them all on the new Hurray Vacay landing page. The themes and lessons learned throughout the blog posts center around learning the value of: adventure, pushing myself outside my comfort zone, learning, relaxation, self care, body love, and pleasure. These are, without a doubt, things that make me say hurray. And with each trip, I craved these feelings even more while I was at home in my little NYC apartment, or tiny office. It dawned on me that I could, in fact, capture the feelings of being on vacation without stepping foot on a plane or in a car.
A #HurrayVacay is not a destination or a trip. It’s a state of mind. It’s a way of living. It’s an opportunity to say hurray.
Thinking back to my times away, I remember taking long baths in gorgeous bathtubs – some with a view of volcanoes, or outside in the warm air. I remember eating well. I remember soaking in the view. I remember trying something new. And it wasn’t just the memories that transported me. Over the past few months, I’ve been incorporating small or big things that reminded my heart and my body what it felt like to be on vacation. I started taking long bubble baths with candles and soft music in my apartment. As cliche as it sounds, my tiny bathroom was suddenly transported into my favorite tub in Puerto Rico.
This is just one example. And there are more. And here’s where you get involved. In the video below, I’m sharing my instructions on how to tap into that Hurray Vacay feeling on the inside, outside, and underneath whether you have just a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. And, why doing so is such an important act of self care. Watch the video and read below!
Step 1: Define your feelings
Let’s get started on how to feel like you’re on vacation! First, you need to name the feelings that you want to feel. If you think back to some of your favorite vacation memories – what were the major feelings? For example, some of the feelings I most like from my vacations are those of being: relaxed, pampered, and adventurous.
Feelings are huge indicators to us and deserve our attention. After all, they are responsible for our potential happiness. And finding them, naming them, and admitting that you desire them is a big step. So slow down here. Take your time. And don’t fake it.
What did you truly like feeling on vacation? And how do you desire to feel? Think beyond the things you did, and ask how you felt, and what you really enjoyed.
Step 2: Brainstorm your way to hurray
Now that you know how you want to feel, it’s time to dream up the ways to do it. And, I suggest thinking beyond recreating exactly what you did while on vacation (though that’s lovely!). Get creative. And, remember that many different things can evoke the same feelings – from the inside, the outside, and underneath.
Journal a few ways you can tap into each feeling you picked for when you have a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. Then, choose a few ways you can do each on the inside, the outside, and underneath.
Here are my examples if I want to feel pampered…
In a few minutes:
- Paint my nails
- Spritz myself with perfume or oils
- Wrap up in a cozy robe
- Pop a bottle of champagne
- Call a car instead of taking the subway
- Listen to tranquil, spa-like music
In a few hours:
- Go for a massage
- Shop or try on clothes at a high end store
- Eat at a restaurant with very attentive waitstaff
- Get a blow out or new hair cut
- Exercise at the gym and enjoy the sauna
- Turn my bathroom into a spa and soak in the tub, with candles and peaceful music
In a few days:
- Take a trip to a hotel (even in your own town!) where you’ll be waited on or driven around
- Have a staycation in my own home, turning off my phone and simply relaxing
- Upgrade to business class on a flight, or a room with a view at a hotel
Inside:
- Even (or especially) in my busiest moments, take a few minutes to honor my needs and desires, letting yourself know that you are cherished
- Eat healthy, gourmet food or hire a personal chef for the night
Outside:
- Dress in the most luxurious materials, like cashmere or modal
- Invest in great skin care and makeup products
- Get your hair or makeup done
- Drink from my most luxe, pretty coffee cup
Underneath:
- Wear luxe underwear made of silk or satin
- Try cashmere thigh high stockings
- Adorn your body with a lace bra or lingerie set
- Go for a bra fitting with a real professional
- Get a full body massage
These are just a FEW of my favorite methods to tap into that pampered feeling – one of my favorite ways to feel when I’m on a #HurrayVacay. Go with whatever it is you want to feel!
Step 3: Try them out!
Now that you’ve brainstormed how you want to feel, and how you can feel that way, it’s time to give them a go! You can tap into that feeling for a quick, and desperately needed pick-me-up during a busy day. You can also schedule in periodic time, devoted to some of your Hurray Vacay feelings. Can’t escape to Guatemala? No worries! Schedule in an hour of a Hurray Vacay activity that you can do in your home one evening. Worried it costs too much to travel to Mexico? Don’t get upset – take a quick trip to a local area, or arrange for an outing with a friend to a sauna. Feel like you can’t leave town for a vacation in Puerto Rico? Indulge in great food and try a new recipe in your own home.
I am 100% over hearing people say things like “wow, you’re so lucky that you get to go to these great places, and go on vacation so often. I wish I could.” The truth is, I’m very blessed… and I made these trips happen. I created the opportunities, and worked hard to bring them into actuality. And once I did it, I wanted to do it again and again and again. After all, it feels good to do things that feel good. When I’m on vacation, I let myself “indulge”, but really, I treat myself well. I’m good to my body, I take things slow, I ease up on the grind. I honor my full self and my needs. It’s how, in truth, I’d love to live my life every day. Now, it’s about figuring out how to replicate those feelings, and those self-loving actions without relying on the location or a getaway from your life.
We all deserve to treat ourselves well. We all need down time, rest, relaxation, self care, adventure, great food, connection with our loved ones, connection with ourselves… all of those juicy, wonderful things that we allow, accept, and create on vacation. Now is our opportunity to create that life anytime and anywhere we want.
Your turn: Try out steps 1-3 above and let me know how it goes! Share your findings – and your ideas – with me. Need help brainstorming? Leave a comment or send me a tweet so we can all chime in! What is a baby step that you can test out? What does it feel like to love yourself with some Hurray Vacay time?
PS: The image above was taken by my #HurrayVacay photographer, Becky Yee. The sports bra I’m wearing is from Shock Absorber. I’m a proud ambassador for this awesome sports bra brand (they make no wire, super supportive styes for a VERY wide ranges of sizes), and they were a sponsor for the Guatemala trip. I had a great time wearing their sports bras to the Mayan Ruins, out in a kayak, and doing yoga while overlooking volcanoes. Now I wear them to my local gym! Zero retouching or airbrushing to my body – as always. xo
