Why do I feel depressed after traveling? Trust me, I've been there. We’ve all been there. You go on an amazing trip and come home with the dreaded post vacation blues.

This is me at the age of 14 heading off on my very first overseas adventure. I was about to board the plane for a volunteer group trip to Ghana, Africa. 

I'm Incredibly grateful for this experience because it planted the seed for what my life is today. ( see other blogs about the story .) As a teenager, I  saw the world in a whole different way after coming home. Everything I knew about life had shifted. I had a whole new, beautiful  perspective on our planet and humanity. 

Coming back to the suburbs in the United States: None of my friends had experienced this. There was no internet or social media at the time. I came home feeling SO inspired to do big things with my life. I also came home, kind of "resenting" the way our society took everything for granted and most of all, I came home feeling lonely because no matter how you try to paint a picture of things you experience while traveling - if your friends haven't been there - there's just no way for them to "get it." 

I quickly fell back into my daily routine and the magical epiphanies I discovered became merely memories. In my teen years and twenties, I really lost the connection to my new found passion and fell into partying and just "trying to make it" here in the US because I had no support system or tools to keep the travel love flowing.

Even though I went through a few tough years, that experience is one of the many life chapters that inspired me DECADES later to start my company VIVE Society Travel. So that solo travelers not only have amazing people to share adventures with but also have a community to encourage each other through their life's journey, even after coming home. 

So here are my tried and true tips on how you can travel and use those experiences to UP LEVEL your life story instead of falling into the dreaded post-travel blues.

1. Share Your Story
Today, we are blessed with technology where you can share your experiences and inspire others. As we all know, it takes FOREVER to go through all those pics and videos on your phone, so take your time and enjoy reliving all the special moments. I love creating albums on my iPhone + socials so I can easily access them anytime I need a little happiness boost. Also, by sharing your stories, you will always be inspiring others to see the world more too. 
Consider starting a blog, or do a presentation for co-workers or friends you'd like to encourage to travel more. 

2. Keep Community 
Get linked with a Travel Community that you feel connected to. There are lots of FaceBook Groups +  local in-person Meet Ups for travelers. You can join my ​FREE Facebook Group here and follow VIVE Society's Instagram to stay in loop with all of our virtual and in-person events. 

3. Have Another Trip Booked
This is the MOST important. It is proven that having a trip to look forward to improves your mental health, It makes the long days at work worth it. When bad days are full on, you know that. there are better days coming and when you feel your mind slipping to somewhere negative, you can shift your thoughts to daydreaming about the adventures ahead.

Planning your next get away while flying home from a trip? For your mental state + happiness ... highly recommend!

In this day and age, finances are a common factor in preventing many from taking that next step towards a trip so at VIVE we have made sure that all of our trips are easy to secure with a small deposit and the ability to make payments over time. So it's one step easier to make sure your next trip is a reality. This was one of my MUSTS when creating the VIVE brand.

Let me know in the comments and feel free to share any other tips you have for keeping happy while living the life of a world traveler!

Now that hurricane season in Puerto Rico is winding down,  I find it important to reflect back on what an honor it was to share the beautiful culture of the island with my yoga students - whom I prefer to call friends - last June. My husband is from Puerto Rico and he still has many, many family members living there today. The devastation of Hurricane Maria is just unfanthomable. Everyone in his family seems to be slowly getting back to "normal" life but I know this will take years. 

This tragedy taught me many lessons but one, in regards to travel, is to remember that what is here today could be completely gone tomorrow. We must cherish every moment that we are blessed to experience the wonders of this planet. ​

Nelson & I arrived in San Juan the night before everyone else to finalize arrangements with the hotel staff and assemble our pretty welcome bags. It was pouring rain that night which cooled things off - creating a perfect, sunny arrival day for our group!

​We picked up 16 travelers from the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport . We hired a car service ahead of time ( 16 passenger Mercedez Benz van with bottled waters & luggage help ) but later learned that you can hire a van at the airport that is still pretty nice for much less. The driver told us that you just need to request a "nicer van " at the rental desk. Some taxi / van services can be lacking AC.  I just always like being prepared. Only the best for my guests!

Once everyone had checked into their room ( and enjoyed a few coconut mojitos ) we had a tapas style welcome dinner, poolside, at the Solera Restaurant. We played a little ice breaker game so everyone could introduce themselves. 

I love the La Concha Resort on Condado Beach! For an inside look at the rooms, you can watch the detailed room reviews on my YouTube channel . I did two reviews for this hotel.

Later that night, we went down to the beach, beers in hand, to learn what the Summer Solstice and La Noche de San Juan are all about. We gathered in a circle on the sand with some lanterns. As it got dark, I read to the group about the origin and traditions of these two holidays and why they are celebrated here in Puerto Rico. We even decided to walk into the ocean backwards ( one of the traditions ) to symbolize a fresh start in our lives. 

Our first full day of the retreat started early! After some light yoga on the beach & a hearty breakfast, we gathered in the hotel lobby to await our driver from Spoon Food Tours. Old San Juan was a short 15 minute drive from our hotel.  We joined the "Walk & Taste Tour." Our guide was Pablo and he was certainly a highlight of our entire trip. His enthusiasm was so genuine and his knowledge of the island's history was very impressive! ( If you ever decide to join this tour, I highly recommend requesting Pablo as your guide. ) I pre-booked this tour and Paulina in customer service was amazing. She helped me choose the itinerary that would be best for our group. 

We saw the historical sites, visited El Morro, El Convento and many other important land marks in the area. We tasted ceviche, local fish, plantains, local coffee, chocolate martinis and a few other delicious bites. Our groups favorite were the stuffed avacados at Stuffed.
I hope they open a location in Florida some day!

Before going back to the hotel, we stopped for Pina Coladas at the "home of the original Pina Colada." It is a quaint restaurant called Barrachina ( though I hear that it is just a rumor and the real original place was closed that day. ) We said hello to the little parrots who I swear have been there for years, took some fun group photos and headed back to the beach. 

Later that night, some our brave travelers went on the night time Bio Bay Kayak tour to see the bioluminescent waters. They said it was actually quite scary in the dark! The other half of us explored Asford Avenue just outside the hotel. There are lots of great restaurants, bars and shops all in walking distance. We had so much fun bar hopping! I'll spare you the incriminating photos.

The first half of this day was left open for everyone to relax. ( Good thing since it was a late night the night before! ) Some people just decided to sleep in and then laze at the beach. Some of the ladies went out shopping while some of the others went next door to the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel to treat themselves to luxury spa treatments. There is not a spa at the La Concha hotel but this hotel next door is their sister property. It is a very quick walk. There are also some nice restaurants to try.

That afternoon, we took a group trip to Ocean Park which is a trendy neighborhood about 10 minutes from the La Concha Hotel. We had the honor of visiting Ashtanga Yoga Puerto Rico where David Kyle guided us through a fun yet challenging yoga practice. If you have never experienced a class with the Mula Bandha King, I highly recommend you making it happen. He teaches in many cities.  As a yoga teacher who has studied with teachers all around the world, I can honestly say that David is still one of my favorites who I hold dear to my heart.

As soon as you step into the studio, you know you are somewhere special.

That evening was  The Summer Solstice Party at the La Concha Resort!
It was so much fun. Everyone was dressed to party for the upscale cocktails inside the hotel lobby. DJ, mermaids and mermen drew us to the main pool and out by the beach, a full blown pool party was happening. It was the perfect place to witness hundreds of people walk backwards into the ocean at midnight in honor of La Noche de San Juan. 

Definitely a night to remember!

Photo Courtesy of the La Concha Hotel.

On our  final day in Puerto Rico, I really needed to catch up on some rest. I got caught up on my emails while sipping  pina coladas and eating lunch by the pool.  Some of our travelers decided to take a day trip to the famous El Yunque Rainforest. 

Later that night we had a casual cocktail party. I invited a henna artist to come and paint designs for our ladies as a souvenier of our adventure. 

​One of our travelers walked to the tattoo shop nearby and got a souvenier of her own!!

After breakfast, we did a mandala yoga practice in the park! It was another day of perfect weather. While packing up for the airport, there was a lot of chaos at the hotel. The check out area was crazy busy. We were told that a hug Pride Parade would be coming through the area soon and that traffic would be at a stand still for a couple of hours.

As a group leader, a situation that started out feeling very stressful ended up being one of the highlights of my trip! We actually made it through traffic and to the airport in plenty of time.  As I was watching the parade go by our hotel entrance , it seemed like the parade was there just for us. A celebration of our time there, a beautiful send off with colorful floats, happy music, bubble machines and postive vibes!

I highly doubt it. I would love to do this trip all over again with another group when the time is right. To see where I am leading trips this year, be sure to check out my website & social media. 

Where would you love to visit on a group trip? Let's make it happen! 

xx Michelle Ruiz