Why we never have a hangover on vacation

You always have girlfriends you trust – and you have girlfriends who are life-threatening. Especially when you meet them on Friday afternoons.

I already know in advance with one that it will be a party. That it can never be normal. That even if we solemnly promise each other with a pinky promise to only do one, it will be at least fourteen and a half. That when we meet on Friday afternoon, I certainly don't need to put ‘running’ in my agenda for Saturday morning. That I might as well draw big crosses in that agenda on Saturday morning, because wow, I should be happy if I make it to the couch after such an afternoon full of rosé, wine, white beer, and even more rosé, wine, and white beer with that dreaded girlfriend. A hangover: sometimes I just know in advance that it will hit me. That I can cry from misery that day of the week that I myself have poured into my body, yes.

But that doesn't apply to vacations. Because on vacation, you can still enjoy those sweet cocktails on the beach; you feel perfectly fine the day after. Even great. That you can already be quite ‘thirsty’ by noon at lunch. How can that be?

It mainly has to do with the fact that you relax on vacation. You have nothing to do. You have no stress on your mind.. You don't have to do anything. You are also with the people you love the most, that counts too. You can be yourself and you don't have to spend energy on things, problems, and people that only drain your energy. You read a book, you turn your beach chair back in the sun, and you have all the time for that extensive breakfast with chocolate croissants and fried eggs with bacon. Look, that definitely lifts your spirits. A skinny latte with oat milk plus half a banana in the office unfortunately can't really compare. Not having to do anything, especially doing what you feel like, and being able to go to bed all day if you don't feel well: then you don't notice that whole hangover. And let's be honest: even if you have a pounding head and a dry mouth, you'd rather have a pounding head and a dry mouth on the beach in Southern Spain.

Muy bueno, it's about time to plan a trip with my dangerous girlfriend to a sunny place. Luckily (and oh my god, no) I'll see her again soon.

FACTS

• Only a third of people actually use their vacation money for a vacation
• Let it go: for 89% of people, daily stress has already disappeared after two days of vacation
• France is the most visited country in the world

Image: Justin Aikin via Unsplash