Guest post by Rebekah Marcano (https://definewellbeing.com)
What good is a recharge vacation if you come home tangled or stressed? I like to think that each time I travel I come back with a reset button and a lingering vacation euphoria that refreshes me and also challenges me to think outside the box and see things beyond the three mile radius of Chicago where I live my life. I love traveling and exploring new places, setting aside time to unwind and just BE!
There is something about getting on an airplane and having a forced technology break that makes me go super inward-my childhood prayers and daydreams come to mind as the plane takes off and I text my I love you’s to my family and head into the clouds with a sense of gratitude for life and curiosity for the unknown adventure!
My friend Cindy pushes me out of my comfort zone-in a good way. She LIVES. She’s also an incredible host- adventurer and friend. The kind of friend that lives in the moment and doesn’t hold a grudge. Pure open heart! Like the time she let me take her flight upgrade to Costa Rica when our flights were delayed and I accidentally grabbed her passport which meant she couldn’t get on the next fight but instead flew to NewYork to get a temporary passport and met the group of us in Costa Rica a day later. That’s another story.
Being the live in the moment- adventurer -hostess EXTRAORDINAIRE that Cindy is- I wasn’t surprised when she started Sun Fun You a Mediterranean boutique vacation experience. She wanted to share all of the joys she experienced with others: yachting through the Mediterranean enjoying food, fitness, hiking and pampering! Most of all, sharing this experience with others while meeting new people.
Would I like to teach yoga on a yacht in the Mediterranean she asked me one day over lunch -perhaps still captivated by a vacation bliss with a wink of magic in her eye after returning from one of her trips. Ummmmmmm- yes please! Sign me up!
http://www.sunfunyou.com/#sun-fun-you
So off I was to Istanbul then another flight to Fethyie to teach yoga and meet the beautiful blue Mediterranean sea!
We awoke with sunrise yoga, sometimes on land others other days our wooden gullet with fresh coffee brewing and unlimited amounts of feta awaiting our consumption. Each day we journeyed on a new hike exploring marvelous heights of what I can only describe as heaven on earth. City girl as I am, it took a few days to get adjusted to the height peering closer to the edge but not TOO close! It’s amazing how much you can walk when you aren’t counting time and simply breathing in nature!
Afternoons we met back on the yacht for lunch, swim, relaxation and optional recovery yoga before dinner to gear us up for the next day.
Each day was so unique! One day we stopped on an island for a beer and crab lunch, another day we pampered in mud and suds experiencing a Turkish bath called Hammam. We enjoyed freshly caught fish and wine and FETA-FETA-FETA! Oh, how I love feta and olive oil!
As we approached the end of the trip, I got to thinking-how will I go back to my three mile radius of high rises and cement? I love Chicago for our food and people and architecture- but there was something about the sea and the sun and the art of BEING that I wanted to bottle up!
I decided I would bring a few things home with me to keep my vacation RECHARGE!
WALK-WALK-WALK
Yes, high-rises are NOT the same as mountains, but that does not mean I can’t get some miles in and look up at the sun and see something new every day! Instead of rushing to the gym or squeezing in a yoga class-what if I added some walking miles in?
Wishing Stone
Take time to see something new-pause and make a wish and send it out! This I could do ANYWHERE! There were so many beautiful stones to marvel at. One day we say a pile or stones hikers made as a sort of wishing stone mountain. (As it is illegal to take stones out of the natural habitat). I found a beautiful heart stone that made me smile and make a wish.
Pamper
OH how I loved the HAMMAM! Make a sanctuary at home with bath salts and mud masks and fresh flowers or an orchid! Make time to pause and pamper!
Community
What made this voyage so special is sharing experiences with others like minded friends and meeting new people. In this Chicago cold it’s easy to stay indoors and hibernate. Making a bit of an extra effort to bundle up and be a part of community is so important!
PLAN ANOTHER RECHARGE!
Most important-plan ANOTHER vacation! If that means making coffee at home or eating PB and J a couple days a week -it is WAY worth it!