It’s OK to Take a Break During Your Trip — and Actually Relax

Someone passed along a gem of advice — and it’s completely changed the way I travel.

You Must See, Eat, and Do Everything! Right?

When we travel, many of us cram as many sights, restaurants, bars, shopping excursions, beaches, and other attractions as possible into our schedules. It doesn’t matter if we visit somewhere for a day or ten. Doggone it, we’re going to do everything. No one is going to stop us! (I love taking long walks when I travel.)

But here’s a potential problem. We spend so much time hustling around and being busy that we sometimes forget to take a vacation. (Cue the ole “I need to take a vacation from my vacation” saying. We owe the great Jack Donaghy a debt for coming up with that one.)

This might be subjective, of course. Plus, it depends on a trip’s purpose. If you plan to visit a mega-resort — like a Disney park — then you want to accomplish as much as possible. Mainly because everything costs a zillion dollars and you want to enjoy your money’s worth.

Or maybe you’re visiting Tokyo (one of my favorite cities). Tokyo is huge. There’s a lot to do. And the food is so good. It’s overwhelming. Before you know it, you’re whipped from walking around and taking trains everywhere.

You’re exhausted.

Take a Day — or Even Just a Half Day to Chill Out

An episode of the “Extra Pack of Peanuts” podcast gave me one of those Holy smokes, he’s right! I hardly ever do that! moments.

It was either Travis or a guest talking about some of their best travel advice. The person said they learned to slow down while traveling. And that it’s perfectly fine to stay in your hotel (or other lodging arrangements) and rest for a day. Hang out at the pool. Relax in the lobby and people-watch.

Or if you can’t budget that much time, even taking a morning or evening to relax at some point during a trip can do wonders to refresh and relax you.

You won’t see everything unless you’re visiting a tiny destination.

It’s easy to feel guilty about it. Like, I really should be out doing something. I can lay in bed or sit in a lounge any time. But taking some time for yourself during a trip is a great perk. And it doesn’t even require elite status or a credit card. 🙂

You might be surprised how happy it makes you.

Some Examples

I was in Las Vegas for nearly a week in November after visiting Sin City twice a few months prior. This was part business, part pleasure — and then one of my clients hired me for a job at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, so I extended my stay.

Now, I love Vegas. But six days is a little oof. Ted Lasso’s Coach Beard summed it up perfectly:

I’ve been to Vegas many times. One night is good. Two nights is perfect. Three is too many.

One night around 9:00 PM, I was tired. But I was in Vegas! Being tired at 9:00 PM is unacceptable, especially when traveling alone. No kid to put to bed, no discussions with my wife about grocery lists, bills, or other adult stuff.

And did I mention I was in Vegas? Gambling! Cocktails! Great late-night food! Excellent people-watching! Sign. Me. Up!

But guess what sounded even more heavenly? Pouring a drink, changing into my sweats, plugging my Roku streaming stick into the hotel room’s TV, laying in bed, and getting caught up on Below Deck.

And that’s precisely what I did.

I fell asleep about an hour and a half later. I woke up the next day feeling incredible. I was rested. Plus, I had way more money in my wallet than I probably would’ve had I visited blackjack tables and beverage establishments the night before. (Side note: has anyone else recently experienced horrible gambling luck in Vegas?)

Even when visiting family and staying in hotels because there’s no room at their houses, we enjoy lazing around our hotel rooms for a morning or two. We get rested, watch TV, read, or do something else relaxing. (Our families love each other — but are the kinds who can’t spend every moment together.)

Or we enjoy a leisurely meal in the hotel restaurant or nearby.

Final Approach

I love seeing and doing things when I travel. But I also want to enjoy myself. That’s difficult to do when I’m tired and rushing around.

My wife, daughter, and I always try to spend at least a half day relaxing and recharging. It makes a trip so much more enjoyable.