As a woman with her own business, I have a tough time totally disconnecting from work. There’s always something there that I have to do, whether it’s a quick phone call to a client or checking client or team emails. I’m kind of always working. I have to admit, I don’t usually disconnect entirely at any point on vacation but I truly don’t mind because I know that it comes with the territory of being a business owner. And with my entire business online, I can usually work in small spurts from my phone or in the evening or early morning. Honestly, I just feel so dang grateful that I’ve been able to grow a business I’m passionate that I really don’t mind working here and there when I’m traveling. If it means I get to take and pick my kids up from school every day or stay at home without giving my boss (me!) a second thought…I’ll do it!

At the same time, I know that disconnecting as much as possible is crucial to my own well-being. It gives me quality time with my family that I both want and need and lets me enjoy other aspects of my life outside of my business. I’ve been to some incredible places that have given me the opportunity to disconnect (99% of the time, anyway!) and continue to use travel as one of my most important ways to reconnect with the people I love most.

How I Disconnect on Vacation

How do I make the time to travel with my family and have as much time away from work as possible when I’m doing it? There are three reasons for this:

1. I get ahead before I leave. The week or two before vacation is always crazy. I try to get as much off my plate as possible before I leave so that I’m as free as I can be during my vacation. It’s hectic, but it’s so worth it.
2. I outsource tasks to a trusted team. I’m very transparent about the fact that I use a solid team of awesome people who are skilled in a variety of areas to get things done for my business. I trust them to get tasks and projects completed while I’m gone without my constant oversight.
3. I schedule time for work. There’s inevitably going to be some work tasks I need to do, so I make time for this. But it’s small chunks of time and I don’t let it take over my time. I silence my phone, keep my laptop and other work-related things inside, and check everything during one small block of time each day that works with my schedule. No interruptions allowed!

My Favorite Spots to Disconnect

I’ve been lucky enough to go to some amazing places with my family and on my own over the years. Owning a business has given me even more opportunities to travel all over the world.

I’d say that my two favorite vacation spots, though, have been the Canadian Rockies and Ireland with Italy a close third. A couple years ago we flew into Calgary, rented a car and made our way over to Vancouver over 11 days. It was the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on. I love being outside and seeing gorgeous landscapes that you just can’t find anywhere else. I loved it and can’t wait to go back.

We went to Ireland two years ago and it was incredible. So lush and gorgeous. Magical. Ireland is filled with lots of enchanted stories and rich history. We started out in Dublin and drove the whole southern coast to the other side of the country. Amazing! My parents went with us which was super special.

Several years back we visited Italy. At that time we were only a family of 4. THAT was spectacular! The history…I couldn’t get enough. I’m the kind of person who passes an old, half-standing barn on the side of the road and physically have to make an effort to not stop. I want to know the story. I want to know who lived there, what happened, how old is it? Who built it? What did they go through? I really want to know its secrets? So you can imagine Italy was just overwhelming to me. We were fortunate enough to have some of the best storytellers accompany us when viewing certain places. I LOVED IT! And, what is so dang cool is that my kids STILL talk about those stories. They remember what we heard (better than I do!) To me, sharing that experience with them and having it make such an impact that they remember it 5 years later…Yep, that’s why I do what I do.

I think these vacations were my favorites for a couple of reasons: They offered some of the best landscapes and outdoor activities for my family (if you know me, you know how much the outdoors makes me feel at home!) and they offered me a lot of quality time with my family, disconnecting as much as possible. I love doing short getaways over an extended weekend, but longer trips give me plenty of time to reconnect with myself, with God and my babies.

Where have you vacationed and fallen in love with? Do tell because I’m always in the market for vacation ideas. What do you do to help yourself disconnect from work and stress when you travel? Let me know in a comment!

xoxo,