18
Aug
The crew behind Cozy Sisters’ Brew went on a short-but-sweet vacation recently. It was a 4-day trip to Croatia and it included our common (in translation: my best friend whom my sister also adopted) friend and a cute little red car.
It was a very special trip for me, because it was the first one I had planned and organized. The duties were neatly divided: I was in charge of the accommodation, our amazing friend drove (amazingly) and the Moon was responsible for finding the best suited restaurants for dinner.
As one does during a holiday, I didn’t plan on using my brain a lot. Alas, as thoughts do, bubbles of ideas just happened to form while I was lying in the sun. Little did I know, it was my brain waking up from a dream that wasn’t even mine. A dream of all the things that should matter during a holiday, but actually don’t. Not in the way that makes your heart open up. Such aspects as how fancy the hotel is or if the right people are admiring you or if the iced coffee is worth the 5€.
Instead, this is what I have discovered that makes changing locations for a couple of days a proper holiday:
Crazy idea, I know. But really, going on holiday with someone is the fastest and most efficient way to see what kind of person they are. How do they behave in novel situations? How do they act when tired? Do they have problems hearing your five alarms with different songs in the morning?
In our case, the company was highly curated, so we knew what the general vibe would involve needing our two (sometimes three) coffees per day and spending our whole day on the beach (snacks included). After dinner, we would go for an ice cream walk and then straight to bed. It was an unspoken rule that while one of us was showering, the others were allowed to roam around the bathroom, admiring their tan or putting on make-up.
The whole trip was dictated by unspoken golden rules. The bond between us elevated the whole experience.
If you’re on a trip with people on the same frequency as you, the rest will probably follow organically. Still, I feel like I need to mention how important the experience of getting there (and, eventually, getting back) actually is. Not because it sets the tone for the whole experience, I believe you can change that at any time you wish to.
Because all those tiny details, the gas station coffee, waiting at the border, giggling with excitement at the first sight of the sea or the mountain, they are all part of the adventure. If you merely treat them as a means to getting to your dream destination, you are missing out.
Spend some time preparing a special album just for the car ride (or train or bus or airplane, just maybe wear some headphones in that scenario), sing your heart out, prepare gourmet sandwiches and write your friends’ names on the zip lock bags.
Any event can become meaningful if we attach some meaning – and some Rihanna songs – to it.
This was not chosen for the obvious reasons. If the forecast announces a cloudy day, don’t trick your mindset into believing this is the end of your neatly scripted dream vacation. Rather, it is a chance to challenge yourself to adapt. But, you might counter, who wants to do all that work on a holiday? It doesn’t have to be something big. You won’t have to dig after happiness in the depths of the Underworld. All the good is surprisingly reachable.
When our morning started with clouds, rusty winds and gnarly waves, we thrilled took out the digital camera. We just knew that it was the perfect opportunity for a tropical photoshoot! Moreover, we relished the fact that we could read without the sun trying to gaze at the same page as us. We weren’t melting because of the heat and the crashing waves were deemed the perfect background noise for a lazy catnap.
Eventually, the sun came back and we found reasons to be ecstatic about that as well. It’s not about the weather, it never was. It’s the active choice of not letting such a natural phenomenon decide your level of happiness and ease.
Dinners are an occasion. A reason to sit still, drink something yummy and let everything else settle. For the accumulated sun to soften into your skin, the cold shower to freshen you up and the velvety material of the dress to hug your body. Maybe there’s some soft music coming from a nearby summer theater. Or some gentle mumbling in a familiar language.
But, most importantly, the light has to be just right. Because the light dictates everything else: how the people move, how kind they are to each other, if they’re willing to indulge in a chocolatey and creamy dessert afterwards. Cold blue lights are not to be associated with the playful sea. One needs the sun-kissed, slightly dimmed ones that veil all that’s sacred in gold. Â
Food tastes better under soft lighting, like ambrosia. The wine or the juice or the sparkling water? Basically nectar. And who doesn’t want to feast in a godlike manner?
When I was little, I used to worry about the trip being over at around the half-mark. After that point, everything seemed like a bittersweet ending. Yes, the sand was warm and tingly, and I would only have three more days with it this year… It’s safe to say that I was a rather sentimental child.
But that never improved my experience in any way, nor did it prolong the trip. That’s why, growing up, I actively tried to stop viewing time as the enemy. Now, when I go into the sea for the last time, I still kiss it goodbye. However, I spend my time swimming and chatting and basking in the sun instead of mourning something that is not even lost. And it will never be. The sea will always be there, waiting for me.
Now I understand my mother. She used to say that going back home was never something to be sad about, because she loved her everyday life. She enjoyed her house and routine and coming back to our dog, who always welcomed us with endearing excitement, no matter if we had been gone for two days or two weeks. So maybe the argument is actually a much bigger one. In order for someone to not mind the passage of time, they have to be content with what comes after it.
So in case you feel like brainstorming during your vacation, what about looking into ways to make your everyday life feel a little bit like a holiday? Having a fancy cocktail or mocktail after work one day, making a weekend trip to a nearby lake (if you are one of the lucky ones), or sunbathing on the terrace.
What about you? What makes your holidays feel special?
