A memory from one of my favorite vacation spots: Pompano Beach, FL

If you felt like this work week would never end, you’re not alone!

Despite the fact things have been moving non-stop at my office since Monday, I feared this long-awaited day would never come. Why is the arrival of this particular Friday more special than those of late? Because it means I have only another 24 hours before I leave my production deadlines, conference calls, personal training programs and even this beloved blog at home and board a plane for paradise!

For the past decade, I’ve been trying to plan a girls’ getaway with one of my lifelong friends named Elisa. Then at the beginning of 2012, Elisa decided she wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday by getting out of town with me! Not wanting to be a bad friend, I was more than happy to grant her wish for such a special occasion. We picked the weekend after her March 14th birthday for our escape, found a good deal through JetBlue and booked our four-day getaway to Jamaica’s Montego Bay. Now that it’s almost time to leave, I can barely contain my excitement to completely disconnect from the “real world” for a few days.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn Americans are some of the most vacation-deprived people on the planet. According to Expedia’s 2011 Vacation Deprivation study that surveyed 7,083 people living in 20 different countries, Americans earn an average 14 precious days off each calendar year, and leave two unused. (Canadians are a close second leaving one of 16 given vacation days unused.) Meanwhile, the survey found people in Denmark use every single one of their 30 vacation days.(Smart people!)

Trust me, I completely understand how the desire to succeed can get in the way of our personal well-being. However, as someone who pushes herself too hard for long periods of time, I also know it’s so important to find some way to disconnect from the frenetic pace of the real world once in awhile. Whether you can take 48 hours or a “decadent” whole week at once, it’s crucial for the mind, body and spirit to have a chance to re-boot.

That’s why other than working out in the fitness center every morning, I have no plans on my vacation agenda. There will be absolutely no emailing, blogging, tweeting or status updating while I’m away. Instead, there will be plenty of chatting, laughing, swimming, reading and sipping on frozen cocktails. After a few days of rest, I know I’ll return to New York City with more energy and hopefully a little less anxiety.

I’ll wrap up with a big public thank you to Elisa for giving me the perfect opportunity to take a mental health break. I’m sure all you wonderful readers will understand that this will be my last post for a week. I leave you with wishes for a wonderful weekend and encourage you to find even just one hour to do something good for yourself. Finding some way to disconnect and re-boot can only help you face the next work week with new energy to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!