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When you hear Napa Valley, does your mind immediately go to a wellness retreat? Likely not—and that’s OK. The California wine epicenter is far better known for its rolling hills of vines, luxe wineries, and hours-long wine tasting extravaganzas.
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Here’s something I’ve learned, both professionally as a travel writer and personally as a travel lover: Planning a good vacation is a skill set, one that gets better through trial and error. Sure, some folks have a natural talent for it. And others are given a leg-up by utilizing professional resources. But overall, the ability to craft a memorable, happy, and healthy vacation is one that is honed through practice.
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Certainly one of the most unique art museums I’ve seen, this sculpture garden is entirely underwater, so to enjoy it you must visit by glass bottom boat, diving, or snorkeling. MUSA Isla Mujeres Bay is located in protected waters at the south end of the island, so you can swim there if your hotel is located nearby. Or book yourself a tour, which won’t cost you too much, and you can visit by glass bottom boat. Of course, for those who can dive, there are diving expeditions as well.
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In a perfect wellness world, we’d all get enough sleep. Sleep, we know, is vital for skin and mental, physical, and emotional health. But we don’t live in that world, and many times responsibilities get in the way. Just ask top model, health coach, and entrepreneur Madison Headrick, who’s no stranger to sleepless nights, red-eyes, and burning the midnight oil
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Welcome to Playa del Carmen, Mexico’s premier resort destination, located in the heart of the Riviera Maya.
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Alexandra Engler
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The key to crafting a condensed routine is to pick products that take up minimal space, but have huge aesthetic impact. For me, that’s a concealer, brow gel, multi-use pigment, and a lip balm. If I can touch up my complexion, shape the brows, add a touch of color, and soften the lips with moisture, I’m instantly more confident in the way that I look. It’s quick, tool-free, and helps you look refreshed instantly.
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Alexandra Engler
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With all of those approaches in mind, you may be wondering: Is there anything I shouldn’t journal about while on vacation?
As you might expect by now, the answer isn’t so black and white. In fact, there are two sides to it and your best bet to finding pleasure in journaling is to assess your situation and go from there—here’s how:
“What I would avoid is anything that feels hard or confrontational because you probably don’t have the same degree of support at your disposal,” Rubin says.
Plus, vacation is meant to be enjoyed. “Pleasure is an underrated part of mental well-being,” she notes, so maybe this isn’t the best time to dig into really deep and dark territory or start the long journey of analyzing unresolved trauma.
But say you set out on vacation with the intention to dig deep into your thoughts and sort through tangles. In that case, maybe it is a good idea to sit down and really dive into your conflicts—but make sure you have emotional support when doing so as you never know where this practice will take your mind.
Still, when you’re out of your normal routine, you may gain more perspective because you’re separated from the bubble that is your day-to-day life. This could be beneficial for making decisions you’ve previously felt at odds with, or creating a positive plan of action for when you return home.
No matter what approach you take, remember that this endeavor is supposed to be enjoyable, not busy work. If it doesn’t feel right, set the journal down and come back to it when you feel more aligned with the idea. And if you’re not sure what you’re going to want to do, pack it just in case—a compact book and a deck of cards doesn’t take up much space, anyway.
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Hannah Frye
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There is one trick I always stick to when I’m returning home: Plan your next adventure. It helps ease the transition of vacation to real life and gives something to look forward to. Coming back home, with a bit of anticipation already sneaking, eases any negative feeling about your free days coming to an end.
But don’t take my word for it. Take researchers’!
According to this often-cited study3, we actually get more joy from planning a vacation than taking that vacation: Researchers found that those who went on vacations were happiest before a holiday; post-vacation they reported the same levels of happiness as someone who did not take a vacation. Sure, that in and of itself sounds, um, bleak, but the reasoning behind it isn’t.
And in a related study published years later, this only became more clear. In this study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers found that when you highly anticipate an event, it can help ease your feelings when you remember said event after.
That basically means that the act of being excited about a trip will actually make you feel fonder about the trip after, even if it wasn’t as exceptional as you once expected.
Here’s what I do, which is not at all hard: At the airport I pick up some travel magazines before departure for some inspiration (that’s more for fun and pretty pictures; I likely already have an idea in my head of where I want to go next, but broadening my search never hurts).
From there, I make note of how many frequent flyer miles I have, what might the estimated budget be (so I can start saving), how many vacation days I have, and what timing makes the most sense.
Then I sketch out my trip: What are my goals for the trip, what are the must-experience activities, whether I want to take any day trips, where I might be interested in staying, and the like. Then that’s it! You can save all the nitty-gritty reservations and bookings for a later date, but you’ve built the foundations for your next adventure.
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Alexandra Engler
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