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Are you craving a holiday, but don’t have much time or money to spare? Have you thought about a mini break?
Taking a holiday can be a little tricky when you’re self-employed, as I am. If you can’t afford the time away or you don’t have the spare cash to outlay on an expensive holiday, a mini break can be just enough to relax and re-energise.
What’s a mini break?
I define it as a weekend or long weekend away. Personally, I find 3-4 nights is best, as it’s longer than a weekend, but not too long away from the business or home.
I feel as though I need a holiday right now! It must be time to start planning our next mini break.
As a general rule, January is my quietest month and the best opportunity for me to take time out. However this year, January was incredibly busy. The enquiries and quote requests started on 3rd January and kept on coming. Don’t get me wrong… I’m not complaining about having lots of work. I am more than happy to take the work while it’s available. As a freelancer, my workflow and income ebbs and flows at times. It’s just frustrating not knowing exactly when it will be busy and quiet. As a consequence, my “time out” was just a few days between Christmas and New Year.
Planning an epic holiday …. in the future
I’m currently planning another trip to Europe with the bestie, but that’s still a couple of years away. While I really enjoy the planning process, it’s still too far off to start getting too excited about it. I certainly can’t wait until then to take a break!
Sometimes, I like to take a weekend to reconnect with my beautiful friends. We haven’t done this in a while, so I feel as though we’re overdue. Within an hour or two of home, we can escape to the beautiful mountains, the city (I live in a regional area) or closer still are the stunning North Coast beaches. We’re spoilt for choice!
When our kids were younger, we used to take a long weekend away at a nearby beach village several times per year. They were very effective mini breaks or getaways, which provided a little escape and re-energised us. Now that we have two teenagers in the family, finding a place they want to go has become more challenging. Gone are the days where they were happy with a nearby holiday park with a pool and a playground. They have a “wish list” of place they’d like to go, but the list often exceeds the family budget – just a touch.
I’d be happy to just get away somewhere, anywhere (well almost). Preferably somewhere without wifi. A digital detox would be awesome 🙂
Do you take mini breaks? If you do, where do you like to go?
The Lovin’ Life Linky pops up each and every Thursday. I’m honoured to be a co-host!
Click on any of the links below to read more amazing stories about Lovin’ Life – because we all need to feel inspired and create our own happiness :).
The rest of the Lovin’ Life Linky team is:
Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit – Min from Write of the Middle
Jo from Lifestyle Fifty – Kathy from 50 Shades of Age
I was the queen of mini-breaks when I lived in London. I’d fly off to Italy, or Malta or Spain for a couple of days, and be back in time for work. While I would have loved more time off, it was a great way to balance expenses and being a casual employee with no holidays. #lovinlife
Sounds awesome Kat. That’s one issue with living in Australia – it takes so long to get to Europe, you need to spend quite some time there to make the trip worthwhile 🙂
We last went away for the weekend to Newcastle and it was lovely!
I visited that area last year Amy. I agree, it’s a lovely place to explore 🙂
I’m ready for a mini-break or even a maxi break if I can wing it. Singapore and Malaysia are on my list.
That sounds awesome to me Jan 🙂
I just went to Adelaide overnight for WOMAD – that was pretty awesome. I was gone before breakfast so it was a really quick visit. But so good to escape my life for a tiny window of time.
Wow Lydia – that’s a quick trip! 🙂
Yes we have mini breaks all the time. Because we have a caravan we are able to hitch it up and take off to Northern NSW along the coast, up to the Sunshine Coast where our daughter lives or head out west somewhere. We are actually heading out near Toowoomba way next week for a farm stay, so that should be interesting. I think mini breaks do take away the tedium of everyday life and recharges the batteries somewhat. 🙂
You’re so right Kathy. Having a caravan makes mini breaks much easier 🙂
Yes – I would love a mini break too! A long weekend away. My choice would be up in the mountains. Nature revives me and it also provides inspiration for my photography, which relaxes me. A little cottage in the mountains with nearby walking tracks, maybe a lake or stream, a rainforest perhaps. Bliss! One place I stayed once that I want to go back to was a gorgeous little cottage at Possum Creek in the Byron Bay hinterland. I would love to go back there. #TeamLovinLife
I’ll meet you at the little cottage in Possum Creek Min. It’s not far from where I live! 🙂 x
We try and go away every 6 weeks for 3 nights. Usually we jump camp but it always gives me something to look forward to.
Wow Anne – that’s awesome! 🙂
Yup would love to take another mini-break soon. Just need to talk the hubster into it!!!
Yes Janet, I sometimes have to talk my hubby into it too. That’s why I occasionally go with the girlfriends instead 🙂
Well, we just got back from a mini break! Usually 3 days is perfect for us—enough time to recharge but not feel so lost when we return!!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Lucky you! 3 days is great for us too 🙂
A mini getaway sounds perfect. I think I might be due for one right now. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks and chilling out somewhere sounds delightful!
Sounds like you definitely need a mini break too Leanne. Even the thought of it can sometimes lift the spirits 🙂
I love mini breaks almost as much as long breaks. They really are invigorating, and as they say, a change is as good as a rest 🙂
I totally agree Jo! 🙂
Definitely need a break in my future. It’s around 2 months until my big trip for the year and I’m already counting down.
In the mean time, Easter is going to be a blissful 4 days of doing nothing.
SSG xxx
Only 2 months until your big trip? How exciting! Enjoy your quiet time over Easter 🙂 x
Since we both retired earlier this year every day seems to be like a mini break!! It’s great to get away mid week and not have to worry about getting back for work. It is important while working to take regular breaks as so many people don’t and end up wearing themselves out.
I agree Debbie. We can easily wear ourselves out if we don’t have some kind of a break 🙂
We haven’t had a holiday for three years so we are off to Spain and Italy in October. before then I have a yoga retreat day and a 7 day cruise in April a weekend away for my husband’s birthday and a weekend family reunion Adelaide in May. 2017 is my catch up year for breaks. We all need even a couple of days away from routine don’t we Lyondell? It is good for our health and well being.
Wow Sue, you have a busy and exciting year coming up – enjoy it! 🙂 Yes, we all need a break from routine now and then, that’s for sure x
I can always do with a mini break!!!
Yep, love them! 🙂 xox
I’m always ready for a mini break. LOL. My next one is three weeks I think. A few days at the coast. Yes please!
#TeamLovinLife
Sounds great Leanne – enjoy! 🙂
I’ve never really been a mini-break person. Or even a ‘go away on holidays’ person. When I worked full time I just liked not-having-to-work so was actually happy to vege at home on my holidays.
Having said that… now I spend a lot of time at home I do want to get away every so often. But as I’ve been living in nice places by the beach, I no longer desire to go to a ‘nice place on the beach’, but just ‘away’ I guess. I often go to my mum’s for a night in a nearby town. It’s my childhood home and the thing I appreciate the most is that it just takes me outside of my head for a while.
We all need to get “out of our own heads” sometimes Deb 🙂