It’s the last day of February, so you know what that means!!! Time to write the monthly blog post!

I really wasn’t sure what this month’s post would entail until I got back from my holiday last night. A Daily Diaries installment or a grad school update will come soon, no doubt, but I was feeling the most inspired by this idea.

Traveling is one of my favorite things. I love getting to explore new places and take a break from reality. However, I often find myself coming back more exhausted than when I left. And fellow teachers know, we have holidays to recharge, so coming back tired isn’t in the cards. On my past trips, there have been obvious reasons, like moving from place to place, packing my days, or staying in hostels. Budget traveling is great until you haven’t had an uninterrupted night’s sleep in weeks. Therefore, for my Ski Break this year (yes, we have a Ski Break), I knew I needed a true trip to recharge. With starting grad school and marathon training, on top of surviving the month that is January, this was imperative. Did this involve a little splurge on a nice hotel with a balcony and a bigger bed?? Perhaps. Was it worth every penny? Absolutely.

Cue the best trip to Mallorca.

Booking the trip, I definitely thought I was going to be sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun the whole time. However, if you know anything about Mallorca “winter” weather, you will know that was not the case. Off and on rain + constant cloud cover tried to put a damper on the trip, but we made the most of it. Honestly, anything warmer than the Eastern European cold was going to do the trick. (And, we did end up get a taste of the sun.)

I was also traveling with one of my coworkers, who I had never traveled with before, which, I think we would both agree, was definitely a gamble, but it turned out so good! Needless to say, this duo will have more trips in the future.

All of these combined led to, truly, the most relaxing five days I have had in awhile. We got home last night and I felt like I could’ve stayed for a few more days. Usually when my trips are coming to a close, I am more than ready to be back in my bed. But that was definitely not the case with this trip. As I woke up relaxed today, I was reflecting on why this trip was different. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Accommodation

Now this is not something I will be able to do all the time, but splurging a little on more comfortable accommodation definitely made this trip more relaxing. In the past, I have stayed in hostels or hotels with twin beds, and while the price is right, I do not come out feeling rested. My friend and I also got separate rooms so we could properly spread out and that made it feel a lot like being at home in my own space. We kept joking that this felt very adult lol. Again, this can get expensive, so it can’t always be achieved, but I was glad I spent a little more on this trip to be more comfortable.

2. Activities

I gotta say, we planned this trip perfectly. I had been to Mallorca before, but there were still a few things I was wanting to see. By the end of the trip, we had done one bigger thing a day and still managed to both have leisurely mornings and got home semi-early. The activities we chose were also fairly chill and didn’t involve much planning on our part, which definitely contributes to the relaxing experience. (If you’re curious, our days included shopping, a train trip to Sóller, renting a car and exploring the mountains and port cities, and having a spa day. We also added in many brunches, drink stops, and delicious dinners.) We both felt super satisfied with what we had seen, and being the twenty-something grandmas we are, loved getting our time to sleep and relax.

3. Location

Personally, I think the location plays a big part of the vibes. Mallorca obviously lends itself well to a relaxing trip. There are still tons of things to do, but the island/beach energy is contagious, and such a big contrast from where I live. I loved getting to putter around every morning and live the slow, island life. It’s also nice that I speak Spanish, so traveling around in a different country becomes much less stressful when you can easily communicate and understand what is going on. Just a 10/10 experience.

4. Travel Buddy

This may come as a shock, but I really enjoyed having a friend tag along on this trip. We traveled so well together, which makes a huge difference. But, I do think that traveling with someone makes the whole thing a lot more relaxing too. Don’t get me wrong, I love a solo trip and I’m not saying I feel stressed all the time when I’m by myself or anything, but it is nice to not have to worry about some things when you are with someone else (like who will hold your things when you go to the bathroom lol). I also feel like having someone there helped me do a bit more and kept me motivated to leave the hotel and go into the city. If I was by myself, it would’ve consisted of a lot more reading in cafes time)

I was really trying to think of a fifth travel secret to make it more substantial, but honestly, I can’t think of one and I don’t care that much lolllll. Anyways, I hope these magic (yet, very obvious) tips help you all have a nice, relaxing trip soon. I know I did.

Now……time to book my next trip!!!!

ttyl,

b