Balancing Adventure with Rest

Series: Self-Care for the Adventurous Spirit

Welcome to my new series: Self Care for the Adventurous Spirit. In this series, I will share different self-care practices tailored for those who travel often or live abroad, such as routines that make you feel grounded, mental health practices, or strategies to stay connected to home. Today’s topic: Balance.

Maybe it’s my Taurus moon, but if there is one thing I love more than traveling and eating, it’s eating then sleeping. For all my travelers who have an itinerary from daybreak til dusk, from the bottom of my heart, I must tell you that no schedule is complete without rest. And no, that five hours of sleep you scheduled is not enough.

Rest is built into every schedule I create. I stayed at a resort outside of Bangkok during my solo trip to Thailand. I stayed at that resort for 2 days, only leaving my room to eat. A big, comfy bed and several Kindle books were all I needed. To be fair, I went from Busan to Seoul and then to Thailand, where my accommodation was far from the airport. I was also overwhelmed by Korean classes and the final exam. Thailand was an expensive trip of rest that was worth every penny.

To the Left: Seeing Bangkok from the comfort of the water

There is a difference between rest trips, rest days, and rest moments. Depending on how much time you have and what kind of traveler you are, the amount of rest needed will differ. For Thailand, I rested for two full days before venturing out beyond the resort. However, on most trips involving airports, I only schedule a day of rest. Airports can be taxing on the mind and the body. Changing time zones often enhances the negative effects. For these reasons, I never (if it can be helped) schedule anything for the first day of a trip. If I find myself with energy to spend, I’ll do something simple and stick to places within walking distance of my stay.

I schedule a rest day on the first day of my trip and the day after returning from a trip. If my flight back home is scheduled for a Sunday, then Tuesday is the day I would return to work. Usually, I prefer to return on Friday to have a full weekend to recover, but with the way ticket prices can be, we have to take what we can get. Having these days blocked out in my travel schedule ensures some peace of mind. If a flight gets delayed, I won’t be missing any plans. Instead of throwing off my entire itinerary, it’s just a minor inconvenience.

For the rest moments, those are usually taken day by day. I am not a fan of gridlocking my day. I don’t enjoy going to eight different areas of the city to say I saw it all. At most, I plan for three things that are all within a few miles of each other. This allows for rest moments. I can take my time and enjoy the beauty of my surroundings, maybe strike up a conversation with a local or fellow traveler. These are just a few unscheduled rest moments built into my schedule.

This next part might be considered overkill for those with the busiest of schedules. So this one is for the homebodies masquerading as extroverts. Let’s say the schedule is jam-packed on Wednesday. From sun up to sun down, I’ve been galavanting through the city. On Thursday morning I am a pumpkin. Don’t ask me to go anywhere, don’t ask me what I want for breakfast, don’t ask me to get dressed. I will be firmly planted in bed until AT LEAST noon. If traveling solo this is generally no problem, however, if traveling with others it is always a good idea to talk about travel styles in advance. I’m not sure how as an introvert I found such a love of travel but I make it work to the best of my abilities.

To the right: taking a moment at Lotte World in Seoul (after which I needed a full day of rest)

The more I am out and about and need to talk to others, the more rest time I will need. If I have plans from morning to evening, then in the evening, I will stay in. Morning and evening, the afternoon will be spent napping. (In case you are wondering, I stay at nice hotels with comfy beds because I’m bougie and need my rest).

While my need for rest may seem extreme, it is important to take time to rest on every trip. Rest days and rest moments give your mind and body time to regulate, relax, and recalibrate. The 3 R’s will keep anxiety at bay, give your tummy time to heal from travel, and most importantly keep your immune system strong. My methods may be overkill but it is unlikely that I am sick after a trip and fighting through it for a paycheck.

Whether you want to admit it or not, rest is important and you need it. For your next trip, I encourage you to schedule in at least one rest day and think about where you can take a moment for yourself.