There is a simple formula for having a great vacation. This expands on the idea I wrote about in March of 2020, what I called “The Delta Principle” which states that the contrast between suffering and luxury amplifies the luxury.

That previous post was inspired by many long and cold rucks and camping trips.

I was reminded of the delta principle this past weekend as I peeled my ski boots off after a full day of skiing…putting on regular shoes never felt so good. Sitting around the fireplace eating a bowl of chili with a tall Guinness after holding a quarter squat zipping down a mountain all day in sub-freezing temperatures was better, at that moment, than any meal I could get out at a fancy restaurant.

Delta Principle On Vacation

With this in mind, I submit to you the formula to always have a great vacation:

• On a short trip: do something hard earlier in the day, enjoy the little things after.
• On a longer trip: bypass cities on your itinerary and go somewhere remote first. The everyday luxuries you’re used to now will be amplified as you make your way back to a city.

As a beneficial side effect, this approach tends to help both the waistline and the wallet ;).

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