How can I bring some of this vacation tranquility home with me?

As we are nearing the end of a delightful vacation, I am torn between not wanting the magic to end and wanting to see my family again. I am just not ready to let go of the utter relaxation I have enjoyed this past 12 days. So I ask myself how can I hang on to at least some of this vacation tranquility as I head back into the real world.

I know it can’t be all beaches, sunsets, and margaritas all the time, but surely there are parts of what make vacation so wonderful that I can bring home with me. Here’s what I have come up with so far (in no particular order):

1. Spend more time outdoors enjoying nature—I mean really appreciating its beauty, the sights, sounds, smells, sensations.
2. Make time to be with people whose company I enjoy. Larry and I are blessed to have our children, grandchildren, mothers, and siblings close by. We are surrounded by good neighbors and friends. There is no excuse not to spend quality time with them on a regular basis.
3. Engage in relaxing rituals to begin and end each day. So maybe I can’t listen to the waves while I drink my morning coffee or sip a glass of wine while I watch the sun set over the ocean at home, but I can create a serene spot for my morning meditation, and Larry and I can take regular evening walks with our dog, Charlie.
4. Get enough sleep. This one will be a little tougher, given the ungodly hour I have to get up on work days, but it’s probably worth the effort. The day is so much better when it doesn’t start with, “Not yet! Just give me five more minutes…”
5. Eat a larger variety of fresh produce. Vacation is often about indulging in things that aren’t necessarily healthy, but I must say some of the best food I’ve had this trip is the variety of fresh fruit in the mornings and the incredible mixed green salads for lunch. There’s no reason I can’t expand my horizons at home beyond the usual bananas, apples, and baby carrots.

So that’s my plan. At least it’s a start.

What makes vacation special for you? Are there things that could be incorporated into your daily life to make “real life” more like vacation?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin