Have you ever lied in bed for a few hours before a long-awaited departure and feel as though you are not preparing for two weeks of well-deserved vacation, but rather fourteen days of a difficult, complicated, tedious project, when you need to make time for everything, everything, and everything?.. A “SlowCation” is the surefire way to never feel this way again.

First, forget whatever plans you made. If you, with a notebook in hand, carefully plan three days in Venice to see everything worth seeing there, it will be the end of you: you will have to be on your feet for 20 hours a day, rushing, huffing and puffing to make it to museums before closing time, and, as a result, you’ll be exhausted and overcrowded with a messy mix of impressions. The correct approach to a “SlowCation” is called “one task for one day”. One museum. One island. One show. This is so you can surrender completely to each of these cases – remember your feelings, delve into the details, and reflect on your impressions. Most importantly, feel free.

Secondly, tell yourself immediately that you will not see, try, or visit everything. A good principle in order to diversify your impressions as much as possible without forcing yourself into the tourist meat grinder is “One at a time”. Choose from among those things that you might be interested in, and plan to do them one at a time: one big museum, one fine restaurant, one theater, and one (but choose the most interesting) market. That’s it. You shouldn’t have to try to fit in any more. Quite frankly, you’re not obligated to do so anyway.

Thirdly, just because you are in Venice, Rio de Janeiro, or Barcelona, you certainly don’t have to forget about all those things that you dreamed about during your long months spent in the working rat race. Want to slowly have breakfast by the hour, savoring every bit of it? Have breakfast. Want to soak in a hot bath with a book to your heart’s content? Have at it. Want to stay in for a whole day with adult coloring books or with your favorite TV series? Take your seat. This is vacation is for you, not a vacation for its own sake. Let yourself, at last, do what you want, not what you have to.

By the way, remember how you dreamed that during your vacation, you could finally reconnect with everyone dear to you along with everyone else that there’s not enough time to cross paths with during the hectic workweek? Even if you’re relaxing in different parts of the world, it’s not as if Skype has been canceled: communicate, chat, arrange Skype parties, share your new impressions, and leave behind any remorse caused by just another great canvas left unseen. People are more important.

In a word, if there’s something that constantly tires you out in everyday life, be it endless running around, a constant need to do everything on time, or a lack of time just for yourself, then maybe you shouldn’t bring these things with you on vacation? A “SlowCation” is for just that purpose and was invented to help you stop, breathe, and begin to enjoy life as it is. Why not give it a try?

Vladimir Estafiev