Many times, travel can be very fast paced. You are often on-the-go and may be out exploring or moving from city to city in a short amount of time. However, sometimes we need to spend a little more time on ourselves. Brandon and I just splurged on a treat yourself day on Sunday (yes, that involved eating ice cream for dinner) so I’ve been in a love yourself kind of mentality lately. No matter where you are in the world, here are 12 ways to treat yourself while traveling. Ready, set, indulge!
Visit the Spa
Give yourself some pampering and let yourself escape into a spa day. Whether you choose a complete luxury health spa in Yorkshire or a basic pedicure, it will be worth it to rejuvenate your body especially after being worn down by traveling.
Indulge in Fine Dining
Whether it’s your favorite restaurant or one that you’ve always wanted to try, indulging in delicious food is one of my favorite ways to treat myself.
Have Dessert
While you’re at it, you might as well order some dessert to top off that delicious meal you just devoured!
Unplug
We all know the “distraction of the screen” and how much technology has taken over our lives, making us always busy even when we’re not in the office. Do yourself a favor and unplug for a while. No texting, checking emails, or surfing the web. Just enjoy everything around you and push all other worries out of your mind.
Hit the Gym
Or use the outdoors as your gym, even if that’s just taking a walk around the city. After all, we wouldn’t be able to handle active traveling or many of the adventures we may take part in during the trip if we didn’t take care of our bodies.
Go Shopping
Buy that backpack you’ve always wanted or splurge on plane tickets to your dream destination.
Have a Picnic
Breathe in the outdoors and bring along some tasty snacks for a relaxing and refreshing lunch in the park.
Try Something New
It could be horseback riding, white water rafting, or trying a new hike you haven’t done yet. Whatever it is that you’ve been wanting to try, now is the time to take the leap and give it a go!
Be Spontaneous
Roll with the punches and take things as they come during your trip. Enjoy the thought of not having plans or somewhere you need to be, and make decisions on what to see or where to go on a whim.
Take a Staycation
If a trip out of town isn’t in the cards for you, take a night or a long weekend to really get to know your hometown. Stay in a hotel nearby and explore the city with new eyes like you have never been there before. This is a great way to appreciate what you have right in your own backyard while still having a travel experience!
No Complaining
Treating yourself means you are in a no complaining zone. If something goes wrong, accept it and move on. Look on the bright side – life is too short to spend time complaining!
Relax
Take some time to just do nothing. Clear your mind and let yourself recharge so you are energized for all of your adventures up ahead.
Never underestimate the power of treating yourself every once in a while. You deserve it!
What are your favorite ways to treat yourself while traveling? Share them in the comments below!
11 Comments
17 Ways to Stay in the Traveler's Mindset
December 16, 2015 at 1:26 pm[…] form of many different varieties, all depending on what you’re into. Remember to occasionally treat yourself, because you deserve […]
Natascha from Westwards
September 5, 2015 at 12:41 pmEnjoyed reading your post. And I think your post shows that work in the travel industry, no matter if you are a blogger, a travel journalist or an agent is, after all, a job, that is sometimes exhausting. And we do the same things, people with a 9 to 5 job do to relax and wind down.
Marissa Sutera
September 12, 2015 at 9:26 amAbsolutely Natascha! We all need some time to pamper ourselves!
Duke Stewart
July 28, 2015 at 3:32 amYou are so right about all this, because travel can be rough no matter how luxurious it seems to others. Exercise is a pretty awesome way to relax, no matter the place. You’ve gotta get a little sweat on, and more than just what you get from walking around all day.
My personal favorite way to treat my wife and myself is with a day at the pool, especially in Southeast Asia. I loved that places in the Philippines had consumption fees, where we could spend $25 or so in food and have full use of a beautiful pool inside a luxurious hotel.
Massage is another one, and I was searching for the perfect strong massage to cure my achy joints and muscles after a long day at the beach. Ok, maybe I was overdoing the pampering but honestly, can you go wrong with a massage? I don’t think so.
I love that you include unplugging from the world, Marissa. It’s something that we all have to do and frankly, I think I’m due for that. Will be looking forward to unplugging from this fast Internet in Korea in about a month, though I’ll probably miss it after an hour or two. Haha.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful collection of ways to travel in style and comfort. Great post!
Marissa Sutera
July 28, 2015 at 6:34 pmThanks Duke, I’m glad you enjoyed it! You definitely can’t go wrong with a massage!
Amanda | Chasing My Sunshine
July 27, 2015 at 11:06 amWhen you spend so much time and effort saving up for travel, it is SO easy to forget to treat yourself. You have such an awesome list here. I will have to tuck all of them into the back of my mind. When I travel with my boyfriend, our favorite way to treat ourselves is to get all dressed up and head somewhere for dinner. If we’re really treating ourselves, it’ll be a whole dollar sign more on Yelp. 😉
Marissa Sutera
July 28, 2015 at 6:33 pmThanks Amanda! My boyfriend and I are the same way 🙂 It doesn’t take a whole lot to treat yourself, sometimes the little things can make such a big difference!
Mel Jones
July 22, 2015 at 2:23 pmDefinitely guilty of looking at screens too much! Great tips Marissa, sometimes you can stick to much to a budget that you don’t enjoy the full experience of travel *skips off the the spa* 🙂
Marissa Sutera
July 23, 2015 at 3:43 pmThanks Mel! A splurge every so often can do fabulous things for both our mind and body!
Katie
July 22, 2015 at 10:51 amThis is so key to remember when traveling! It’s so easy to get caught up in doing, seeing and moving that simply being in a place and appreciating the small moments gets lost. Treating myself to a good meal and unplugging are definitely two of my favorites, plus taking runs in new destinations – it doubles as exploring!
Marissa Sutera
July 23, 2015 at 3:42 pmRunning is one of my favorite ways to get to know a new place, plus it gives me a nice boost in the morning! Glad to hear you also enjoy slowing it down to appreciate the small moments 🙂