You know how I work like a beast these days and don't have any time to do things like cook dinner let alone see my friends or, er, blog? Well, in the few minutes I have been able to carve out for myself over these past few months my favorite pastime has been planning vacations. I'm not talking about the odd weekend getaway. No. I'm talking about a Granddaddy Vacation. A truly epic adventure that will serve one purpose and one purpose only: To get me OUT of incessant blackberrying hell for a while.
And so it was. When I needed a break I'd start scoping out amazing vacations.
Here were my criteria:
- Aforementioned blackberry hell = it needed to be international
- I want something active, since I am a desk weenie. How great would it be to come home THINNER from a vacation?!
- I prefer a group so I don't feel so weird about being a solo traveler
My first plan was to go on a 7 day cycling tour from Prague to Vienna. But I won't be able to go until October or November. Alpine weather being what it is, this could make what sounds really fun really miserable. So while I harbored this as my fantasy vacation for a while I eventually opted to not follow through. I still might do it though ... just not this year.
And THEN! Then I found The Island Experience. All of the criteria were met. All of the reviews were raving. All of my dreams will come true!
TIE (as I will call it, because the full name is pretty lame) is an "adventure spa" on an island off of Rio de Janeiro. They only have 12 guests at a time so it is very customized to meet everyone's needs. Together we hike the rain forest, sea kayak, yoga, and swim in waterfalls and coves around the island. A nutritionist provides gourmet vegetarian meals (with unlimited fresh produce) and a masseur provides a daily hour long massage. The beach front accommodations are beautiful and in our downtime (what there is of it) can be spent relaxing or doing various activities such as painting.
IT SOUNDS PERFECT!
There's one little thing ... all of the reviews I read raved but they made sure to mention that the trip was "intense" and all of the exercise, while great, was very challenging. When I described this trip to my friend Jennifer, she said, "So, you're going to Jungle Fat Camp?" And basically, yes I am. But if I can survive it, it will be super amazing. I've got almost 4 months to get in-shape enough to ensure that I don't die on this trip. One reviewer said she participates in 7 hours of gym time a week between yoga, kickboxing etc, and TIE pushed her very hard. But at the end of it she had gained a great sense of accomplishment aaaaaand lost 7 lbs.
Sounds like a win-win to me!
Now that I've put down my deposit I'm committed and I will have some serious motivation to go to the gym. I think this trip will be a great mix of fun, exercise, nutrition, travel, and relaxation.
I really couldn't be more excited about it!
4 comments:
so i want you to picture this: me, graduating cruise style on my way to bermuda; my contact, somewhat stuck in my eye; my finger nail, tearing my retina ever so slightly; pirate patch and steroid drops relieving me of one eye's site just in time for my sea kayaking adventure; so there i was, one-eyed in my pirate patch out in on the water, having to twist my entire upper body to the right to see any thing on that side of the kayak. awkward and totally worth it.
this is going to be SUCH a great trip!!!!
please, please, please keep your blog in your hilarious loop.
sounds awesome. can't wait to hear about it!
This really does sound amazing. You'd better blog about it, G.!
It's so fun to see a blog from you again! Only I am jealous of your vacation plans. Can you finda similar vacation that will watch your two-year-old during activites. Can't wait to see you next month in Washington.
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