Holiday Nostalgia

Holidays are good for the soul. There is such excitement in planning a getaway. If you are travelling with a companion, it gives you such a positive line of conversation – if you are travelling alone, it allows you the opportunity to focus on exactly what you need.

Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of being part of the christening cruise of Avalon Waterways’ newest ship, the Avalon Imagery II, along the Rhine. It was a magnificent experience. When I was telling a friend about it before I left, she said, “you’ll love it, and remember to refer back to it in the middle of the winter or on days when everything feels like a challenge – it’ll get you through.”

How right she was. Life can be incredibly busy and stressful at times. So often, you hear people come back from an amazing trip, only to grumble several days later, “it feels like I’ve never been away.”

Partly, this is due to the fact that once you are back in the swing of your daily routine, you slide back into old patterns, rushing to be in too many places at once, allowing your diary to overfill, or not taking enough time for yourself.

So, when I felt this was last week, I sat down and went through my photos from the cruise along the Rhine. I looked back at all the new people I met, let my mouth water at all the wonderful food we had, and recalled all the incredible experiences.

One of them in particular, a bike trip, stood out. I was cycling down through a vineyard hill, surrounded by breathtaking scenery (slightly relaxed from the wine tasting along the way), laughing with new friends. At the time, I recall being struck by how utterly relaxed and carefree I felt, which had not been the case in a long time. So, back at home, I sat for a minute and allowed that feeling to wash over me, and it felt so good. I could feel myself physically relaxing and revisiting that time.

It’s that effect which is priceless about holidays. You can spend money on things, or worry about rainy days, or you can invest in memories which continue to give you happiness and enjoyment, long after you return home.