Recently, I watched a video from a woman whom I have followed over the years. She started out as a sustainable fashion blogger and it has been interesting to watch her “business” grow. I am fascinated by the younger generation and how adaptable they are in living out the kind of life they want. This gal, because she is online and uses the web for her “office” can work anywhere. She travels to Europe for stints of three months or so (I am sure that it is tied to the visa timeframe) and then returns to her native Canada for a period of time.

Her visits abroad are an interesting mix of travelogue, philosophy and lifestyle. In one of her latest youtube videos she shares some things she learned while in southern Italy. These are lessons she wants to continue when she returns back home.

I think we all can relate to being away at a new place and experiencing some type of new routine or experience that resonates with us. We want to bring it home and continue that experience and emotion. While that is admirable, I wonder can we sustain it? But then, I wonder why can’t we? What is it that when we return home we revert back to living life in a way that may not truly resonate with us or that we want to continue?

Is it because we have responsibility at home and potentially lack thereof when we are on holiday?

One of the things that she wants to incorporate into her post holiday life is the practice of la passeggiata: the after dinner evening stroll. It is common for those in the southern Italian community to stroll after dinner. Partly it is a way to see and be seen but it is an opportunity to exercise which is good for one’s total (physical, emotional, social) health.

Having just been on a little holiday myself, I’ve been thinking about routines. How we do we develop one? Can we add or subtract to them? Why do some routines stick and others do not? In looking at some of the literature, it appears that a routine is different from a habit. A habit is some action that is associated with a cue. For example, hand washing after using the restroom is a habit. The cue to doing the handwashing is using the bathroom.

On the other hand, routines do not require conscious effort or thought as it does not depend upon a cue. (Though I think it might be a question of semantics. My dad had a routine for his meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner. And while there didn’t seem to be a cue, he seemed to just know when it was 8am, 12pm and 6pm.)

When we get in a certain routine, we go about our day without much thought. Our routines, because we do not have to think about them, become the foundation for whatever work, play, or schedule that we have. Some routines we cannot change or at least not during certain stages of our lives: feed the children, clean up after ourselves, manage our health, walk the dog, go to work, etc.

When on holiday, our routines can be quite different. The dog may be boarded so we do not have the dog walking responsibility or our meals are being provided through a hotel, restaurant, or another family member. We might find that our routine is the pattern of the place we are in. I know of people who have gone to other towns and have been surprised that restaurants are not open all the time: they might close after the luncheon crowd and not open until later in the evening, or close earlier in the evening so that a late supper is not an option. For those travelers, their normal eating routine has to change.

I wonder about my blogger gal. How much can she practice the routine that she had in Italy when she returns to Canada? I think it is admirable to want to incorporate some things that resonated with her.

Her thoughts made me think of our home routine and possible ways to change it. Not so much as adding habits, but possibly changing the structure of our days. Life situations have a way of changing our routines: living with someone else, having children around, losing a partner or roommate, retirement. My husband and I haven’t had a life change situation in a while but I am thinking of changing up our daily routine or at least changing the pattern of some days of the week. For instance, on evenings when we have activities/meetings, try to have our dinner mid-day. Doing so will change the routine of our meal prep- making more food some nights so that the lunch/dinner will be leftovers freeing us up from meal prep in the middle of a work day. We have come to an age where eating “continental” right before bed doesn’t feel right.

What about you? Any routines from trips or holidays that you have incorporated into your regular home routine? What are they? Why did you make the decision to incorporate them?

Another routine I would like to incorporate is la passeggiata: getting outside after dinner, walking and seeing one’s neighbors. Seems like such a nice way to end the day.