When the holiday ends, the holiday truly begins

Like most people, I set off on vacation with a full suitcase. And I quickly realized – with too much luggage and too many expectations. My goals were clear: finally give my body some rest, spend quality time with friends and the kids who came along. I wanted to catch the mornings for exercise and swimming, for coffee while the kids were still asleep, to watch the sunset, and go for a romantic night swim.

The movie in my head included romantic light, relaxed conversations, and the perfect backdrop. Only in reality – the movie never plays out quite like that.

What did I get? Cloudy and rainy days, a tired body, and the realization that most of my plans wouldn’t come true. And, as so many times before, I was my own biggest obstacle. But honestly – I can’t say the holiday was bad. I managed to realize some of it, and the best moments happened anyway – unplanned. Like one evening with a larger group, when we stayed late into the night, with great food, dancing, laughter, and cocktails. And a neighbor’s message telling us to keep it down. And then the extension of the trip – an utterly unexpected, adrenaline-filled rafting on the Una river, which thrilled me. It wasn’t planned, not even close. Suddenly, we were sitting in a raft, surrounded by green jungle and water so clear you could count the pebbles on the bottom. Spontaneity, laughter, a few “oops” moments, and that realization that the best memories are born when you plan nothing at all.

Let’s not forget – my husband and I also had a digital version of vacation. That scene I’ve written about a thousand times when advocating for a digital detox – we broke it on the very first day. I was writing emails, he was finishing a project. Both of us in sunglasses, feeling like we were somewhere between vacation and work. I must admit – it didn’t bother me. Because if you have to type, it’s better to do it with a sea view and a cocktail in hand. I still advocate stepping away from work and emails, but often it’s simply impossible – especially when you’re self-employed.

And then – the rain came. But you know what? You see it differently. Rain means dancing in droplets. The wind reminds you that you have hair. The sun teaches you that sometimes you just need to sink into the shade and be still.

When I came home, I decided to take a lesson from all of it. To create what I want – now, not waiting for the next holiday, better weather... I decided to have a vacation even after the vacation was over.

And we did it. We went to recharge in the Alps. One day we took city bikes and finally cycled the entire Path of Remembrance and Comradeship in Ljubljana. For the first time – all the way to the end. That feeling when you sit on a bench, watch the river, and wonder: “Why on earth didn’t I do this sooner?”

We kept going. The next day, within ten minutes, we were already in downtown Ljubljana – tourists in our own city. Ice cream in one hand, camera in the other. Lunch at the Open Kitchen market. No luggage, no parking search, no expectations. And that’s exactly why it was perfect.

And in the evening – the Perseids, a meteor shower from Tivoli park. No sea, no Greek island. Just grass, a few mosquitoes, and a sky that outshone every Netflix series. That’s where I really breathed for the first time – slowly, deeply. As if nature whispered: “Girl, you don’t need anything. You already have it all.”

Just a moment – here and now. A holiday that doesn’t go into the calendar. A holiday I don’t count in days, but in feelings I steal for myself.

The lesson I took with me:

• I don’t wait for holidays anymore.
• I take them every day – ten minutes, an hour, an afternoon, or a weekend.
• Sometimes all it takes is a picnic in nearby nature, a stroll through the market as a tourist, or a simple walk in sneakers up the hill.

Vacation is a state of mind, not a location. And the humor I find in it – the greatest souvenir. When I see my husband and me typing emails on the beach and think: “This will make a great anecdote for the grandkids” – I know that’s the real thing.

When the holiday ends, the holiday truly begins. And now I know – I no longer search for it in a catalogue, but in small, stolen moments. Because when I’m in nature – be it Tivoli park in Ljubljana, the Alps, or a river – I allow myself to simply be.