54 vacation micro delights
Embracing the space to notice
One of the great joys of the past couple of years—during which I have crafted a working lifestyle that is fulfilling, values-aligned, and not ridiculous in terms of hours or drama—is that I’m not as hungry or desperate for vacation as I have been in past years. Instead of feeling like I need vacation as a hard boundary to get away from the aggravations of work, I view vacation as an opportunity for relaxed together time and more space to notice. And the great thing is, even if vacation isn’t super long, there’s still plenty of room for noticing.
Knowing that June 2025 was a milestone month—Jon’s 50th birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary—last year we decided to swing big (for us; as two independent business owners, when we stop working, the money stops) and plan a full week away after school got out for Violet. But then life stacked up as it does, and we shortened our trip from seven to four days and changed our location twice.
It ended up being perfect.
In the spirit of noticing—as well as my love for putting attention on micro moments of joy and delight—here are 54 things that filled me up during four days away from home last week. I hope these examples get your wheels turning for how to notice delight, in the every day and beyond.
Seeing my kids and dog passed out in the back seat of the car not long after we left home (we left very early in the morning to avoid traffic)
My kids’ surprise and delight when we offered to stop at Dunkin’ Donuts for munchkins and hash browns as we neared our destination
That beautiful moment when we pulled into our location, before everyone tumbled out of the car, and thought, “Yay, we made it!”
Seeing Violet’s face light up meeting a new little dog friend (she adores small pups)
Hugging dear friends, knowing we were about to spend four chill days together
Seeing Violet head to the ocean not long after we got settled, at about 9:30am
Watching three dogs play together and follow each other around the house
Every single moment (there were many!) where I thought, “Maybe it would be fun to get another dog or two!”
Stepping onto the sand for the first beach day of the year
Thinking of my mom as I walked across the sand (she advised me repeatedly to walk a lot on the sand for my health)
Staring up at the sky while floating on my back in the ocean
Seeing Violet’s delight as she showed me her front and back flips
Goofing off in the water with my kids
Marveling over shells on the beach
Wearing my ajumma visor
Having all the time in the world to read
Every moment where I felt the contrast of the heat of the sun and air and the cool of the ocean
Seeing James set foot on beach sand for the first time
Seeing James trot around on the beach, playing with people, dogs, and his beloved rope toy
Watching shades of pink streak the sky in the evening
Eating a delicious dinner made by the young adults in the house
Listening to other people’s playlists
Hearing the ocean while falling asleep
Wandering chats with friends
Playing an old school word prompt/charades game, inspired by one of the young adults in our crew
All the many moments knowing how happy my kids were on vacation
Having Laurel point out that my friend Ilyon Woo’s book Master Slave Husband Wife was on a bookshelf in the living area
Talking about Ilyon’s book to two of the young adults in our crew and later seeing one of them pluck it off the shelf to read it
Enjoying an espresso drink made by Laurel
Enjoying my friend’s famous eggs and potatoes with homemade salsa
Wandering through kitschy stores
Holding my kids' hands while we meandered around
Finding a candy store and enjoying my favorite almond buttercrunch
Taking all of my showers in an outdoor shower
Eating ice cream
Talking about favorite books with one of the young adults in our crew
Seeing my family paddleboard
Enjoying lots of laughs over silly jokes
Seeing James swim for the first time
Seeing James stand on a paddle board
Seeing the three dogs all passed out from joyful exhaustion
Taking silly selfies with my kids
Cooking Korean food for the group
Sleeping until my body was ready to wake up
Playing Sudoku in bed before starting the day
Observing the change in the strength of the tide each day
Learning a game concept (Wavelength) and playing it impromptu (no boards or devices)
Trying to wrangle the dog for a family photo
Successfully completing my mission to get a little color on my previously pasty white legs
Playing cribbage on a beautiful board Jon made
Finishing the book I brought to read (I struggled trying to start Great Big Beautiful Life several times at home and apparently just needed some clear brain space to get into it)
The moment I realized I had not cracked open my iPad the entire trip
Playing car games on the ride home with my family
Arriving home—vacation is a great reminder of the comforts of home
Awesome opportunity to notice these things! Come to think of it, except for a few, I have things in my life everyday. But I don’t have a wowzy career though. 😁
This sounds incredible and lovely. +1 for outdoor showers on vacation!!