The tour I took in Costa Rica with my mom gave us an optional activity on our rest day if we chose to take it. Mom chose to rest. I chose to go.
My mom, naturally a night owl, usually sleeps in past ten am. But on this vacation, our tour had her up no later than seven every day. Today was a nice break for her. While I missed not having her on the tour, I had already made friends with many on our bus and certainly did not feel lonely. I got to do things at my own pace, take care of just myself, and have quiet time to write on the bus. It was a good morning.
My mom slept until ten, then sat on the patio in the sun and fed a visiting iguana some watermelon from the snacks I left in the room for her from breakfast. She spent the whole rest of the day at the pool and the beach. I met up with her after noon and we shared the rest of the day together.
My mom got a back and arm massage on a lounge chair placed down over the shallow waves on the beach. I’m glad she agreed to splurge a bit on herself.
Let this be a reminder that it is OK to do things for just ourselves sometimes. While we don’t want to be excessive, these relatively low cost, or no extra cost, joys are often wise. But we don’t have to do everything available to us all the time. Sometimes a rest day for just ourselves is a good idea.