Designing a Life You Don’t Need a Vacation From

Instead of chasing the perfect getaway, what if we gently reshaped our days to feel more like the life we truly long for?

Start with your mornings, waking slowly, perhaps stepping outside with a cup of coffee. Photo: Elle Hughes

Every summer, we collectively exhale. We book flights, rent cottages, or set out on long road trips hoping to shake off the exhaustion of our regular lives. We dream of hammocks, sea breezes, dinners that stretch long into the evening. But the very idea that we need a break from our daily existence raises a deeper question: what are we building that requires escaping?

What if we didn’t need to “get away” so often, because our days already carried a sense of ease, delight, and meaning?

This isn’t about quitting your job or moving to the countryside (though some do). It’s about integrating the essence of rest, beauty, and intention into the architecture of your regular life. A life you don’t need to flee is one built slowly, deliberately, with enough space for breath.

Start with your mornings. Think of how you behave on vacation—waking slowly, perhaps stepping outside with a cup of coffee, greeting the day without rushing. Now contrast that with a weekday morning: alarms, screens, stress. But could you reclaim even ten minutes? Maybe sit by a window. Listen to a favorite album. Light a candle. The difference lies not in time, but in tone.

Or consider how we eat. On holiday, we savor our meals. We linger. We talk. At home, we eat at our desks, scroll through headlines, or grab something while standing. What if one meal a day—just one—was treated as an unhurried ritual? A plate, a cloth napkin, real conversation or silence without stimulation. You don’t need the Amalfi Coast to slow down for lunch.

Our homes, too, can quietly transform from utilitarian spaces to small sanctuaries. Think of the hotel rooms or guesthouses you’ve loved. Often, they’re not grand—they’re simple, but intentional. Fresh sheets. No clutter. A vase of something seasonal. What elements from your favorite stay can you recreate in your own space? Sometimes it’s just rearranging furniture to catch the light better, or clearing off a surface to breathe again.

And don’t forget time outside. Vacations often mean long walks, new sights, fresh air. But you don’t need a national park to reconnect with your body and the earth. A walk around the block, a corner of a local park, even a balcony garden can provide a pocket of wonder. The key is attention—seeing what you’d normally pass by.

Of course, not every day can feel like a vacation. There are bills, work deadlines, family responsibilities. But that’s not the goal. The goal is to dissolve the harsh contrast between “real life” and “rest.” To soften the edges. To invite moments of intentional living into the mundane.

In doing so, we build a life rich in small pleasures. A life where joy isn’t delayed until the next long weekend. Where beauty isn’t saved for special occasions. Where peace isn’t reserved for rare, far-off destinations.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence.

The life you crave is not elsewhere. It’s waiting within your ordinary day—beneath the layers of hurry, hidden in the small choices. You don’t need to escape your life to enjoy it. You just need to begin shaping it with the same love and intention you give to planning a dream trip.

Start with one thing: a ritual, a corner, a slow meal. Begin there. Let the life you long for meet you where you already are.