Traveled to Europe, planned a wedding, had several family gatherings, and got married!
A Visit to Europe
This was my very first time to travel outside of the country and it would have been a perfect time for me to take on solo adventures, considering the destination’s popularity, but that wasn’t the case for me. It was for two weeks during the Thanksgiving week in 2018 and my father’s birthday. It was an opportunity for me to experience something new with my family, especially since we had my then-boyfriend along with us.
Planning the itinerary can be overwhelming so I stretched the task out over several weeks to avoid getting exhausted. Honestly, it was still a bit taxing but at least it took the overwhelming aspect out of the trip itself.
Before taking on this adventure, I set my intentions to “quality time with loved ones” rather than having the typical experiences a visitor is expected to have. Out of the two weeks spent with family in London and Paris, my S.O. and I planned to have just a few hours of solo adventure in one of the days in London, and we also set our travel dates with an extra couple of days to visit our good friends in Sweden, and then back to Paris to experience just a bit more of this lovely city.
My sister and I shared the task of planning our Europe itinerary. Why is it important to have a travel itinerary?
- Financial reasons. So you have a rough idea of what to expect as far as finances go.
- Having an itinerary helps narrow down choices for your travel interests.
- It helps you visualize the activities to be had for each day, whether it’s full or laid-back.
- Most importantly, it’s a personalized travel guide that promotes being present.
#4 is of huge importance to me. Instead of getting overwhelmed with wondering where to go or what to do on the day itself, you already have a list to refer to and that makes it easier— you get to relax and not worry about the day which, as I said, promotes being present.
Planning the itinerary can be overwhelming so I stretched the task out over several weeks to avoid getting exhausted. Honestly, it was still a bit taxing but at least it took the overwhelming aspect out of the trip itself.
It’s not about the number of places you visit, but the memories you make with one another. Consider slowing down and not focus too much on the itinerary. It may feel as if the trip is not worth it if you miss a specific landmark or that long drive to a scenic view, but from experience, that isn’t true at all. What makes it special is that you and your company enjoy your trip regardless of how relaxing or adventurous it may be.
December in San Francisco: Weekend Itinerary ~ Friendships are Blessings
Below are some things I found beneficial when planning one with your companion:
- Consider each and everyone’s interest, ask and narrow it down to majority. After all, you have chosen to travel with a companion.
- Dedicate an entire day as a “free day” where the schedule is mostly laid-back and basically “whatever goes”. This day can be an opportunity to connect locally or a day to just take it all in, and get into a state of appreciation.
- Dedicate an entire day or continue the “free day” to the following day to slow down with everyone, preferably by the end of the trip, perhaps the day prior to departure. Talk about the entire trip, reminisce and look back at memorable moments, even sour ones or silly touristic mishaps, and most of all, share the positive experiences you had during the trip. Perhaps do this over dinner before the next day’s departure, like capping the trip!
Visiting new places means going on adventures to explore something new, but if your day is filled with too many places/activities, you might end up too tired and overwhelmed to enjoy each other’s company. Communicate openly and kindly with each other—it’s beneficial in any relationship to be mindful and respectful of each other’s time and social energies.
December in San Francisco: Weekend Itinerary ~ Friendships are Blessings
- Be reminded of your intention behind the trip. Openly discuss the trip with your companion with honesty. Did you take this travel opportunity to explore, or did you take this opportunity to spend time with your companion, or both? Find balance, stay optimistic as you plan the trip with your companion. Asses your intentions on agreeing to take this travel opportunity. Don’t be pressured to do anything and instead stay genuine to yourself.
Stay optimistic for any travel plans you may have and focus on what truly matters to you!
Similar Read: The Slow Tourist – Finding Balance in the Age of Trends and Bucket Lists
Our Small and Intimate Wedding
I’m still undecided about sharing details regarding our wedding, but for now, I’d like to share some helpful ways that relate to how I navigated this major life event by being mindful and intentional.
I chose to share all parts of the wedding planning with my then-fiancé. Contrary to popular ways, I wanted to share every single bit and piece of planning on this major life event with him. He’s the reason this was happening after all. I dedicated most of the time planning the wedding with him— it was a weird combination of bickering, patience, laughter, anxious tears, and joy! *Communication power, unlocked!*
We stretched the planning over a whole year. We used the planning guide from A Practical Wedding and sort of deconstructed the entire guide — we narrowed it down to only the things that mattered to the both of us, to our relationship — and we made it our own. Our understanding of the biblical meaning of marriage was our foundation instead of the common notion of what weddings are supposed to be like. That helped us both be mindful and ease into planning with intention on every bit of detail for our wedding.
From the very beginning of planning, we made one serious pinky promise: on our wedding day, we’d never stress out about anything, no matter what happens, we’d focus solely on what the day is all about.
On a side note, we might have put some stress on some of our friends who helped us during the event, and for that, we’re ever so grateful for them. They’re indeed, one of life’s blessings!
Even though we’d narrowed down our list, we still had to let go of a lot of things that we planned for the wedding due to unexpected circumstances. We’re aware it’s expected to experience challenging obstacles in major events such as weddings, so we often reminded each other that the wedding itself is not nearly as important as the reason why we’re doing it.
Family Gatherings
As joyful hosts, we made sure we’d have time (no matter how long or short) with our families who traveled to see us get married. We skipped the so-called “honeymoon” and instead chose to be with loved ones especially since we’re celebrating Christmas and New Year.
I want to be honest in saying that by the end of all the family events, we were both so exhausted we could totally pass for a walker on The Walking Dead. Ha! This isn’t something you’d usually read on a writing that’s supposedly about “Slow Living” but honestly, my kind of Slow Life embodies sincerity and that sincerity comes with staying true to what I value most and that’s showing love and appreciation to our loved ones who flew thousands of miles away to be with us. It may seem like it wasn’t, but it was a mindful decision for both of us. Though it was tiring, the time spent with our families was intentional. However, we also made sure we still made time for the both of us to take a moment and have a breather, like a day or two of “free day” at home.
During the holidays, I set aside most of my plans for the blog. I was miles away from my creative zone; spent 2 frigidly cold weeks in the NW suburb of Chicago and prioritized the short but sweet time with family and friends.
Staying on Track and True to Myself as I Welcome the New Year
On a related note, there are many ways to spend time with loved ones. There are times when you decide to skip on a trip but you can always find other ways to spend time with them. One of the ways you can show your love and appreciation is to host loved ones over a simple but thoughtful gathering.
I love hosting friends and family. I think that’s one of my love languages — from preparation of the gathering space to cooking our meal — I could spend an entire day just getting our space ready for guests so that it will be relaxing and inviting, planning the menu and being thoughtful of what dishes guests would enjoy especially if they have dietary restrictions.
During our current season, perhaps a simple video call may do. Dedicate a time in a day to “have tea” over lengthy video calls! I believe that in everything we do, no matter how we spend our time with friends & fam (extraordinary or ordinary), what matters is our sincere intention behind them.
It’s been a while since my previous blog post, mid-2018, where I wrote about our visit to Portland. I didn’t write any blog posts since then as I focused more on these life events. I could have set aside some time for my creative outlet but I decided to dedicate most of my time spent with loved ones. However, I didn’t entirely leave my creative bubble. Instead, I enjoyed pieces of it when I put together my Travel Gallery page and shared captures of my past travels.
There were a few times during these life events where I had to let go of things on my list and in those times, I had to take a moment to remind myself of what truly matter to me, so I intentionally slow down to mindfully take it all in.
Slow down, take a moment, and reflect on things that matter most to you that nurtures your well-being. Skipping on some plans and decluttering to-do lists for the sake of your well-being flourishes more thoughtful, lighter, and genuinely brighter tomorrows.
emme hope 