Time to recharge – A trip to Crete without a list

​​We’ve all been there before as we prep for an upcoming vacation. Plane tickets booked, hotel confirmed, airport transfers ready…But instead of allowing ourselves to “turn our brains off”, we start with the “real work.”

Step 1) Google “top ten sites at XYZ location”

Step 2) Reach out to close friends to get recommendations for the things we “must see.”

Step 3) Post on social media and get even more suggestions for sites and restaurants that we “have to go to.”

Many of us aspire to have an escape from our stressful to-do lists, yet we end up making those same lists in a different zip code.
My husband and I are not blameless in this, but prior to Crete, we simply didn’t have time to gather feedback from friends or family. And by happy accident, we were able to rediscover the joy of having “no list.”

​We spent the first 36 hours lounging, and I would go back again tomorrow and do the exact same thing…
​​Sit around and relax… 
Enjoy the enormous and delicious breakfast buffet….

Not go through a giant list of must see sites, instead read a book….

Lounge by our pool…

Drink coffee at a local shop and chat with the locals…

Do not check email…

Do not constantly check Facebook to see what people are doing at home when you are on a beautiful island!!!!

In our eight days, we relaxed, took a boat tour to Spinalonga, ate fresh fish and seafood at local restaurants, hopped in the beautiful ocean, drove around the island and explored. But here’s the kicker…we did simple things and felt like we had nothing “to-do”. 

​Every beach was a bonus. Every restaurant was a discovery. If we wanted to play cards while sipping espresso in our hotel lounge, there was no “cost” of a day in which we could have seen a site. 
The beauty of Crete is that the entire island was the “sight to see”. If we were to return, we’d make sure to keep our luggage to a minimum, pack even more swimsuits and goggles, and remember with our future vacations, how important it is to “Do-Less.”

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