What Traveling and Resting Away From Home Has Taught Me as a Busy Woman

The first time I decided to take a solo road trip, I was stressed at work, and I felt the urge to leave my environment, even if it was only for two nights.

It actually worked out perfectly because I had a list of 30 things to do before 30, and on that list, I had written, “Go on a solo road trip.”

So, what did I do?

I drove all the way to Niagara Falls in Canada.

Yes, it was a long drive, but believe it or not, that trip left me feeling rejuvenated and less stressed when I returned to work the Monday after I got back.

That was not my first international trip, solo or with a group, but it was my first purposeful solo trip. I took it specifically because I was stressed and hoped getting away would help.

And it did.

Over the years, travel became something I loved so much. There’s just something about experiencing life in a different environment, learning about other cultures, and simply breathing air in a place that is not home.

I’ve been to 27 countries in total, 16 of which I traveled to solo. On some trips, I tried to pack in so many activities that I came back feeling tired.

What a waste, right?

My thought process was: If I spent money to come to a new place with so many new things to do, why not do ALL the things? Haha.

But as a busy woman, I eventually learned that if my intention is to rest, doing everything a destination has to offer just isn’t feasible. I would simply be living the same busy life I left back home—just in a different country.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I didn’t just love traveling. I was learning how to travel in a way that actually worked for my life as a busy woman.

Those lessons now shape not only how I travel, but how I plan travel experiences for others through KàiJewe.

Here are six of them.

1. Resting does not mean doing nothing, and a packed itinerary isn’t necessarily good

When I visited Punta Cana, I did zero activities.

All I did was sleep, go to the spa, eat, and drink.

I came home rested, but when I reflected on the trip, I realized I wanted more than rest alone. I had traveled somewhere new without really experiencing where I was.

Then, when I went on a short trip to the Bahamas, I did the complete opposite.

I packed it with back-to-back activities.

I was happy to have done all of them, but my body did not thank me when I came home. It sure needed another vacation. 😂

Those two trips taught me that neither extreme really works for me.

There’s a difference between waking up at 6 a.m. and rushing out for one activity after another almost every day of your vacation versus waking up at 10 a.m., having quiet time or time to just be, and then heading out for an activity.

I’ve learned that balance is key.

Some days can be full of activities. Some days should be slower. And some days can be full rest days.

You can leave your hotel, experience the destination, and still come home feeling rested.

The two don’t have to compete.

2. If you want to do more, you may need to add more days to your trip

I love learning about the places I visit.

I want to experience the culture, try the food, see the sights, and find out what makes that destination different from anywhere else.

Naturally, that means I can always find another activity I want to add. 😂

But I’ve learned that I have two choices: I can reduce the number of activities, or I can increase the number of days.

Trying to squeeze everything into a short trip usually comes at the expense of rest.

Of course, adding days isn’t always possible—especially when you have limited PTO and want to travel more than once or twice a year.

I understand that very well.

So, if I know I want to participate in several activities, I try to book enough days to experience them without rushing from one thing to the next. Ideally, I also give myself at least one period—or even a full day—where absolutely nothing is required of me.

You can do more things, or you can travel at a slower pace. On a short trip, you may not always be able to do both.

And sometimes, choosing rest means accepting that you won't get to do everything.

3. You don’t have to go far to reset

For a long time, travel meant getting on a plane and going somewhere far away.

But the more I traveled, the more I realized that sometimes I don’t need another country.

Sometimes, I just need to get away from home.

According to a 2025 study, although vacation duration matters, frequent, shorter vacations may also help maintain well-being by providing regular opportunities for recovery.

I couldn’t agree more.

As someone who is constantly working, frequent periods of rest away from home help me. I don’t always need a grand international trip to disconnect from my normal routine.

Sometimes, two or three nights away are enough.

So, over the years, I’ve learned that if I can’t—or simply don’t want to—fly to another country because of PTO, time, or budget, spending two or three nights somewhere in the DMV can also do the trick.

A nice hotel. Good food. Maybe a spa treatment or an experience I wouldn’t normally do at home. A slow morning. Time to pray, think, sleep, and just be somewhere different for a little while.

Rest doesn’t always require a passport.

4. The cheapest flight isn’t always the best flight

I once booked a flight that was significantly cheaper than the standard options.

It was a return flight from Nigeria to the United States, and we ended up stopping in two countries to get jet fuel.

Now, I don’t think that’s common because it had never happened on any other flight I’d been on. But what I do know is that the flight was significantly cheaper—and those stops added unnecessary travel time.

Chances are, I’ll go straight back to work after returning from a trip.

Because of that, I pay attention to more than the price of a flight. I consider when I’ll land, how many connections I’ll have, how long the layovers are, and whether I’ll have enough time to settle in and sleep before returning to work.

If I save $200 or more but end up adding 10 or more hours to my travel time, am I really saving?

I’ve established that rest on a trip is a priority, but so is making the most of the limited PTO I have.

Every hour counts.

Sometimes, the more expensive flight gives me something just as valuable as the money I would have saved: time and energy.

So now, when I look at flights, I think about the real cost:

Price + Time + Energy = the real cost of a flight.

5. Time with God doesn’t have to disappear because you’re traveling

There’s something about waking up in a different time zone, where you don’t have to be completely independent and people don’t have to depend on you, and suddenly you don’t even remember God until something bad happens.

I’m not sure why that happens.

Maybe it’s because many of us talk to God more when things aren’t going well, when we’re stressed, or when we need divine help completing a task.

It took me seeing God from a different perspective: as a friend who is traveling with me.

And it would be awkward to travel with a friend for an entire trip and never talk to them.

Bearing this in mind has made me appreciate and talk to God on trips even more.

“Ooouu, God, You outdid Yourself on this one,” while admiring a beautiful landscape.

“Hey God, let’s go to this activity. I hope it’s fun.”

Sometimes it’s a longer quiet time in the morning. Sometimes it’s prayer. And sometimes it’s simply acknowledging Him in whatever I’m experiencing at that moment.

It doesn’t always have to be complicated.

I’ve learned that God is there in the quiet mornings, the beautiful views, the new experiences, and everything in between.

6. Sometimes what you need isn’t an escape from your life but space to return to it differently

The goal isn’t, “My life is stressful, so I need to run away from it.”

Because eventually, I have to come back.

The work will still be there. The responsibilities will still be there. Life will still be waiting.

For me, travel has become less about escaping my life and more about creating enough distance from my normal routine to rest, think, pray, experience something different, and come back with a renewed perspective.

I’ve learned that having this mindset helps eliminate some of that “OMG, I hate my job” feeling on the first day back to work after vacation.

There is a noticeable positivity that I exude when I’m back from vacation. I think that, aside from being rested, it’s because I acknowledge that there will still be work to do when I return.

But while I’m away, I give myself permission to detach from it.

After 27 countries, 16 of them solo, I’m still learning what rest looks like for me.

I don’t think there’s one perfect formula.

Sometimes I need a passport and a new country.

Sometimes I need two nights an hour away from home.

Sometimes I want activities, good food, and new experiences.

And sometimes I just need to sleep.

What has changed is that I no longer measure a good trip by how much I managed to fit into it. I pay more attention to how I experienced it—and how I feel when I return home.

Because sometimes what you need isn’t an escape from your life, but enough space to rest, reconnect with God, experience something new, and return to it differently.