day sixteen. learning to balance.

if you’re super lucky, that’s the end of a traditional two-week vacation getaway. you’ve had a relaxing time, packed in some adventure, but your body and mind is okay with packing up and heading back home.

for the first two weeks, we had a pretty solid plan. we knew where we were going, where we were staying, what time our flights left and had excursions on the calendar. when we woke up on day sixteen, we had no plans for the day and no clue what we were doing next.

after a run that morning, we sat down to breakfast and both admitted feeling a wave of, “woah, so this is life now. what next?”

we talked a lot that morning and decided it boils down to is balance: both physically, mentally and emotionally. nobody can sustain six-months of constant adventure – real life stuff has to fit in there as well, and that’s perfectly okay. we’re working on switching our mindset to be okay with some downtime and less jam-packed days. to allow our minds and bodies to reflect and recharge. to push ourselves into new and authentic experiences, but be okay with sometimes wanting  & indulging in the comforts of home. it’s easier said than done though. it’s tough to be sitting in the middle of a far-away land and not feel like you’re going to “waste” a day if all you do is read a book in a cafe, go for a run and blog. or to feel guilty for ordering a hamburger in thailand. but let’s be real, we can’t explore every minute of every day.

…..

on day sixteen, we didn’t have a plan and it proved to be perfect. after a run through town, we stopped by a beautiful hotel and decided to have a relaxing resort-style breakfast. as i saw the glistening pool and poolside cocktail service, i made up my mind that we would be poolside that day. we were just back from spicy villa and i was ready to read, relax and have a little luxury in our life. where there’s a will, there’s a way, so i marched up to the front desk, had a little chat and before we knew it, we had our kindles & cocktails. as the sun started to set, we headed back to our hotel and got ready for what was about to be the best date night.