I remember the first time I traveled to Europe. It was a completely new world. So many things made so much more sense— streets were cleaner, food wasn’t as heavy, beer was cheaper than water! What was this place? Yet, what caught my attention the most was the people— more specifically, their outlook on life. People worked to live, they didn’t LIVE to work. They were happy! They would leave work at work, enjoyed evenings and weekends with their families. Young and old alike out into the whee hours of the night on a Tuesday! They knew where the hole-in-the-wall was at, as well as where to congregate outisde that wine bar on the corner.

I left that vacation so intrigued by their way of life that I wanted to imitate their lifestyle, especially on my future vacations. So now, after numerous trips, I’ve learned how to enjoy myself on vacation without being on a time-crunch, constantly checking the spreadsheet but rather taking in the city or location as it comes.

Now I encourage you to go, enjoy your vacation, make friends with locals, taste their cuisine, digest their culture, have fun and find your favorite hole-in-the-wall.