Vacations don't have to end

Climbing the trails in Sedona

Remember that last really great vacation you had? Why was it so great? What were the best moments of it?

I remember zip-lining in Costa Rica, walking the streets in Paris, eating amazing fruit in Jamaica, performing a ceremony on the beautiful red earth in Sedona, and the list goes on.

Each trip evoked similar feelings of awe, excitement and joy for various reasons. The friends and family we traveled with made these trips even better because of the laughter and the shared experiences that will last a lifetime.

Wouldn’t it be great to tap into these same feelings every day, even while at work? Or, looking out your window at the snow-covered yards? Or being surrounded by people and situations not resembling anything like your vacation?

You can, and it’s simple. When working with my feng shui clients, I’ll often make recommendations to uplift their energy as they walk into their home or a specific room (or even up to their desks). One way to do this is to identify a place they’ve visited that they loved. It can be a cabin in the woods, a beach, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or a bustling city. What’s important is that they loved it.

The Gandhi World Peace Memorial in LA

The first recommendation I make is to find a picture of the place. One in which every time they look at it, they smile or remember a great moment from their trip and place it somewhere they will see everyday. Most people take pictures when they travel, so this is a fairly easy enhancement to create.

Another option is to put out souvenirs from the trip, ones that they love and can associate with a specific positive experience from the trip (so not necessarily an airport trinket you get on the way out of town).

Then there is the option that may take a little more creativity and effort: recreate aspects of the trip in your home. You can start by imagining the feel of the place (e.g., New York City will have a very different feel than Costa Rica). Then identify some key elements that gave it the feel it had (e.g., in NYC, you might remember the bright lights, Broadway or the city never truly “sleeping” – something always happening no matter what time of day).  

A morning view in Costa Rica

Based on the NYC example, you could bring in posters of shows on Broadway, some spotlights that shine on those pictures or another key feature in a room, or incorporate several elements in the room that keep the energy flowing (e.g., a bold piece of art, some mirrors to expand the space and reflect energy back through the room, a large entertainment center, and bright colors through furniture, lamps or pillows).

Once you start adding these elements to your home, you’ll be reminded every day of the feelings you had during those vacations. It’s an opportunity to feel good every single day. I hope you take it.