AdventureWomen's Top 5 Tips for Avoiding Fall Stress
For most women, Fall is one of the most stressful times of the year. Kids are going back to school (and they’re stressed out), the holidays are looming, and summer activities have meant you are probably behind on many, many fronts. And for those working, vacation is definitely OVER.
Travel, I find, is one of the most liberating, invigorating and transformative ways to reduce stress. And so one of the many reasons I founded my company, over 30 years ago, was my strong desire to recreate that spirit of relaxation and camaraderie that we all experience when we are surrounded by good friends, doing something we love, and are truly stress-free! By experiencing new destinations, meeting new people, learning about different cultures and traditions – you actually forget all about all your “to do’s”, responsibilities and commitments and start connecting with a new perspective.
All of our AdventureWomen trips are engineered to revive and rejuvenate the spirit but here are our “top 5 stress relievers” in our lineup and why we think they deserve that distinction:
Lie on your back in your luxurious cabin on our trimaran yacht or float on your stomach snorkeling for beautifully-colored tropical fish. Sit in a hammock with your book. Hike on Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Peter Island. Have a mai tai. Have another. It’s ALL included. No wonder trips like this to the British Virgin Islands are touted as “One of the Top Five Vacations in the World” by Stanton Delaplane, a Pulitzer Prize-winning, syndicated columnist and travel writer. Feb 28th 2015, could be a VERY good day.
There’s almost nothing as relaxing as traveling by water, especially in a canoe. Paddling at your own pace with 13 trusty companions and your guides, you will have a truly magical experience as the Montana scenery unfolds as you float down the Missouri River. This journey will expand your mind and your senses. As you learn about the epic journey by Lewis and Clark, you explore historic sites, photograph native American petro glyphs and tipi rings, and drink in factoids about the rich geology, archeology, anthropology and natural history of this area in Montana. In the evenings, you’ll love our “glamping” (glamorous camping) accommodations and delicious riverside cuisine. All play. No work. All you have to do is sip your wine and fall asleep under the stars listening to the river rush past you. Ahhhh…
Italy continues to be one of the hottest destinations in Europe. It’s hard to argue why it shouldn’t be. And if you want to find a more relaxing part of Italy, look no further than the Italian Lake District. Forget the crowds of Rome and Venice, the business hustle of Milan and the tourist’s invading the Amalfi coast. Discover a peaceful oasis of architecture, art, the fine wines of Piedmonte, Italian villas and gardens and the comfort of exquisite northern Italian cuisine. You’ll fully relax surrounded by the alpine hills and new friends, just breathing in the fresh mountain air and knowing you have absolutely nothing to plan, worry about or DO other than enjoy yourself.
If you have ever taken an extended train ride through the countryside or perhaps a cruise, you know that glorious feeling of NOT being behind the wheel and having to chart your course to your destination. As vistas unfold outside your cabin window, you can simply watch the movie of life play out before you. Well a barge trip is even better because you can hop OFF a barge at any point and EXPLORE the villages, fetes and local life which lie just outside – and then, hop right back on! And, on our barge trip in Southern Burgundy you are in the heart of central France where the wine, cuisine, castles and vineyards just couldn’t be “tastier.” We are sure when asked if you had a relaxing trip, the only answer you will have is “Mais OUI!!”
Experiencing new things can be one of the best ways to relieve stress because it forces us to focus externally (on what we are learning and feeling) rather than internally (on ourselves and our own preoccupations). One of the ways we’ve found to ensure you can experience a destination they may have already been to (but this time in a totally new way), is to create an insider’s itinerary which includes a variety of unique and “exclusive” activities. From farmer’s market shopping trips with fascinating chefs to private tours of wineries to our own San Francisco bay sailing cruise and kayaking jaunts on Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, you will come home brimming with stories about your adventures, feeling totally refreshed, almost as if you have been gone for a month. Now that’s relaxation!
What are your tips for reducing Fall stress? Tell us on Facebook!
