Returning & Resetting : What it means to me

Who doesn’t love a good holiday right? But what is a good holiday? To most of us, it is a break from the rigmarole, quality time with family and friends, food and wine and whatever else, basically a change of air and scenery and getting out of the routine. And hopefully we are all grateful for it! It is after all, quite the privilege don’t you think?

Someone popular, well quite famous now said something interesting very recently. “The REAL magic of holidays lies in their aftereffects”! I completely agree. But, I don’t mean how indulging in something that makes me want to get into a great fitness regime makes me feel sort of reset! I believe in slightly more far-reaching effects.

Resetting to me means re-looking at the way I live, what I do, whom and what I affect and whether the happiness I am creating goes deeper within.

When I return from a holiday, yes, I am rested. I am energised. Ok I need a day or two to recalibrate and get into it all. But, knowing that my holiday has had a positive impact in many ways somehow pushes me to work even harder and continue to create travel that not only delivers to a great extent on what a traveller might want, but doing so responsibly in the best possible way - creating something good on both sides of the equation.

Travelling slowly and responsibly is a choice. One that matters a lot.

These choices set an example and they can create memories – some really profound ones too!

My daughter, now all of 12, takes time out, often, especially when we travel but also when she wakes up, when she returns from school, etc. She understands, truly, the meaning of taking a break, slowing down and allowing herself to reset.

When did this start though? When she was much younger, probably 3, or was it even younger? I remember many occasions out amidst nature. I would find her just sitting, as close to a tree, or a river, or even an animal as she could, sometimes eyes closed, smiling, and breathing her little rhythmic breaths. I do believe it began as an imitation. And I will proudly say an imitation of us, her parents, her grandparents, etc.

What takes it up a notch? Well, lets take this situation as an example. The simple act of buying souvenirs. She didn’t spend her money on just any souvenir from any easy-to-reach shop in the market. She waited it out to see if we came across a real artisan. I remember asking her over and over again, would you like to buy this? Or that? And while she picked up objects and looked at them, she put them back down and walked on. “No mummy. Not this one. Not yet”. This carried on for a while. It was only when she found someone who actually sat there making those earrings did she finally say, “ok this I will buy”!

On other occasions during this holiday, I was faced with situations I really did not appreciate. Situations that disrupted my usual connection with a place. And while I will say that I enjoy my travels on my own, I will say this, I learned (more) patience, I learned the true meaning of having and keeping an open mind towards everything and giving it a chance and of course, gratitude. Because I was still there and had the privilege to be there.

This of course is only a part of many bigger experiences. Something for a longer conversation maybe.

So yes, I do love a good holiday.? Especially when I return from it, thinking a little more clearly, a little more deeply, knowing that I still have so much more in me to help create positive change in some way.