summer vacation – Adamant About Beauty

I have spent the better part of the last four months thinking about the future of retail – and I am not alone. Is this pandemic the end of brick and mortal retail? Will consumers return to stores? Is online forever the path to purchase? Is Amazon really going to take over the world? These are just some of the questions swirling around in my head.
Yesterday, I lived these questions as a consumer, as a shopper. A few things about my shopping and buying patterns to put yesterday’s experience into context. I am not an avid shopper. I buy quality over quantity. I have never liked malls. I am highly loyal to a few stores I love. The last time that I was in a (non grocery) store was March 4th and I can’t remember the last time I went shopping with a girlfriend.
Yesterday, I went shopping with a girlfriend. She took me to her favorite store in Tinos, Karybu. I was so excited about this girlfriend shopping expedition that I dressed up and did my hair. We browsed, chatted with the owner (who happens to be from Basel Switzerland), compared our preferences in earrings, and I bought a (surprise) gift for my husband. We had the best time. Yes we were wearing masks. Yes we social distanced. Yes one of the sales associates was keeping track of the customer count in the boutique. And, it was amazing. It lifted my spirits. It was nothing I could have experienced online.
I had the same feeling as I did a couple of weeks ago, on July 23 rd , which was my first return to a brick and mortar non grocery store since March 4th (albeit by myself). I walked in to Apostrophe in Geneva, Switzerland, my absolutely favorite clothing store, where I have been shopping during each Geneva visit for 15+ years. I did not enter this store with a specific need in mind – it was more of a ritual, and the opportunity to speak with the lovely boutique manager about her pandemic experience. And, I bought a dress. A complete impulse buy. A dress completely opposite to every dress in my closet – patterned and colorful. A dress the manager (who knows me and my black wardrobe) picked for me, promising me that it looked better on than on the hanger and that it was made for me. I decided to trust her – and she was right. I wore it to my sister’s rehearsal dinner and received more compliments than I knew what to do with. It may
be my favorite dress I have ever owned. I never would have purchased this online.

Online shopping will never go away. Neither will brick and mortar shopping. The “in real life” experience matters. The discovery matters. The human connection matters.

Vacation. Vacay. Vacances. A magical word.

In three days, I will be on vacation. Every year, I take the last week of June and the first week of July off and head to a tiny island in Greece with limited wifi, more churches than people, and good Raki. There, I rest and prepare myself for the second half of the calendar year. I read. I think. I sleep. I swim. I watch the sunset. Sometimes I watch the sunrise. I eat Greek salads. I drink rosé. I nap. I do nothing. I work (some).

In 2017, Americans gave up 212 million days off in 2017 ($62.2 billion in lost benefits). This year, 39 million Americans won’t take a summer vacation. I get it, taking time off is not really how I am wired. I have learned, however, that vacation is necessary. It is part of health care, part of self-care. It is not an indulgence, but something that makes me better at my job (CNBC and USA Today).

Pre-vacation benefits:

“Isn’t it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?” (Zig Ziglar)

Knowing I am about to be on vacation is a great motivator – almost like I am giving myself an ultimatum. This week I completed two projects that I have been procrastinating on (one of them for 3 months) because I didn’t want to have them weigh on me during my time off.
Knowing I am about to be on summer vacation also has positive self-care consequences – I have been eating better (because bikini…) and got my second pedicure of the year because of my upcoming trip.

Vacation benefits:

“A proper vacation does three things. It takes you away from the stresses and demands of your daily life; it gives your body time to heal and rejuvenate, and it invigorates your mind by returning you to your normal rhythm.” (Sage Wilcox)

Sleeping. Being constantly sleep deprived, I have a rule to sleep 10 hours minimum every night while on vacation.
Daydreaming. I actually let my mind wander, I create space and time in my brain for new thinking, new ideas, more creativity.
Exercising. I swim every day in the clear, cold, salty sea, which is good for my body and my soul.
Being. I try to disconnect and to not be constantly attached to my devices. This year, I will try harder.

The post-vacation benefits are real. If you don’t believe me, trust the experts: “We know that when people can rest, relax, recharge, there’s a ripple effect of benefits in terms of productivity, creativity, and collaboration when they return to work.” (Scott Dobroski, community expert at Glass Door), and studies show that vacation has proven benefits, including alleviating burnout and making employees more resilient and better able to cope with stress upon their return.

I will come back from Greece refreshed, reenergized, remotivated, more creative, and more productive, ready and excited for the rest of 2019.

Tag: summer vacation

Brick and Mortar is Here to Stay

Vacay…