10 Ways to Feel Like You’re on Vacation

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Growing up, summer meant visiting my grandparents and extended family, who live in a small fishing town in Mexico. I would spend weeks with them, visiting the beach, soaking in the sunshine and getting my fill of tacos and sopes. Now, summer means plenty of stormy Chicago days and a busy schedule that prevents me from jetting off on a monthlong vacation like a did as a child and teen. But I still want to feel like I’m escaping the day-to-day bustle and relaxing. It seems like everyone I know is on some sort of tropical beach vacation, while I’m stuck in the city, counting down the days until I can get away, too. Luckily, there are many ways to feel like you’re on vacation this summer.

Today I’m sharing 10 tips to help you feel like you’re on a getaway:

1.  Upgrade your bed linens to give you the feeling of staying at a luxury hotel. One of the things I love about traveling is staying in a hotel that has comfortable bedding. Get that same effect by changing your own bed linens to treat yourself when you can’t go on an actual vacation. You can also spray your pillow with a refreshing spray to add an extra relaxing touch.

2. Add a little extra highlight and bronzer to your makeup routine. What I like to do when I’m wearing pool coverups, off-the-shoulder tops, and summer dresses is add a bit of highlight to my shoulders, collar bone and maybe even legs. Add some bronzer to give yourself that just-back-from-vacation look.

3. Light a candle with a tropical or favorite scent. Whether the place you’re thinking of is “home” or a country you have never visited, you can pretend you are there through your sense of smell. Light your favorite candle, close your eyes and visualize the location.

4. Dress as if you’re on vacation. Wear bright prints, fun accessories, a sun hat, and those cute new sandals you just picked up.

5. Listen to tunes from around the world. Create a playlist inspired by music from around the world. Maybe you want to listen to salsa, merengue, or flamenco music that reminds you of a past or future trip.

6. Pick up some flowers or a plant. Certain plants remind you of places you’ve been or hope to go. We like to fill our patio and apartment with tropical plants to create a beach paradise vibe that reminds me of Mexico, Hawaii and Costa Rica.

7. Go to a new place in your city. Visit a place you haven’t yet been for the feeling of excitement and wonder you get when traveling. It could be checking out a new museum, visiting a cultural center or traveling to a nearby town to see what it has to offer.

8. Try a new restaurant. Perhaps you’ve never tried Cuban food, or you’re craving the Argentinian flavors you had on a memorable trip. Maybe you’re missing the flavors of home. Trying a new eatery in your city can help you get a taste of that culture and feel like you’re actually in that country.

9. Surround yourself with photos of places you love or want to visit. My home is decorated with canvases of pictures I’ve taken during our past trips. Looking at them reminds me of the feeling of being there and fills me with gratitude for those memories. I also have trinkets from places like Costa Rica and Mexico on my dresser, where I’ll see them every day.

A canvas of a photo I took in Costa Rica hangs in my living room.

10. Head out on a picnic with a friend, your favorite snacks and bottles of the Starbucks® Bottled Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® Coffee Drink. I like to pair my Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® with sweet pastries from a local bakery because they remind me of my family. We used to get these every summer when I visited them in Mexico.

You can easily find the new flavor of  Starbucks® Bottled Frappuccino® Coffee Drink 13.7 oz Single Serve (not available in a four-pack) at your neighborhood Walmart. It’s sold next to the Mocha and Vanilla flavors of Starbucks® Frappucino® Coffee Drinks. Tip: When you buy three ready-to-drink Starbucks® products, you get 35 stars to add to your Starbucks® Rewards! (This is valid only in store and requires receipt verification.)

When I’m feeling that fear of missing out on a vacation, I pack my delicious goodies and my bottled Frappucinos® in my beach bag and head to my neighborhood park, which is next to the lake. Lake Michigan is nothing like the Pacific Ocean, but I like to kick off my sandals, sit on the sand and envision a beach vacation.

The bottle and cap make the Starbucks® Bottled Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® Coffee Drink  super easy to carry and convenient for drinking on the go — no need to pack glasses or cups. I make sure to chill the coffee drink so I can enjoy that refreshing drink right out of the bottle on a humid and hot Chicago day.

The Dulce de Leche Frappucino® helps me shift my mindset from one of missing out on a vacation to a more positive, grateful attitude for these wonderful memories I have of past travel experiences. Once you change that outlook, you’ll have a more joyful present, wherever you are.

What do you do to make your days more enjoyable? Have you tried the new flavor? P.S. Don’t forget to save these tips to Pinterest!