*Photo by author May 28th, 2026 (Kuata Island, Fiji)
“All life requires a rhythm of rest… There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night… the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter.” –Wayne Mueller (Sabbath)
As a full-time worker and busy parent, most days feel packed with responsibility—work, school, sports, doctor’s visits, bills, home fixes, car repairs, aging parents, and all the unexpected challenges life inevitably brings. Most people in my state of life know the feeling.
Like standing way too close to a masterpiece painting—life requires that we step back occasionally to regain our perspective. To see the whole picture, and the beauty again.
We recently returned from an incredible trip making memories with family and friends, and I am reminded of the supreme importance of detaching from the typical rhythms of life in order to regain balance and perspective.
I thought I would take some time today to reflect on some of the trip highlights, as well as the research and psychological principles that support regular vacations and a break from the routine.
The adventure
My wife and I love adventure travel. Before kids, we prioritized this heavily.
On our honeymoon 18 years ago, we took a particularly memorable trip to Fiji, spending a lot of time diving and snorkeling there.
As passionate ocean lovers, we dreamed of taking our kids back one day to see what really healthy coral looks like.
This month, we fulfilled that dream.
When my wife invited some of our close friends, I had to make sure she had given the full disclaimer. I said, “Babe, do they know there is no air conditioning, no TVs, and very limited internet, and cell service? Or that literally the only thing on the island are the huts, the dive shop, and the restaurant?”
There are no roads and you can’t go anywhere without a boat ride.
We generally don’t stay in luxurious accommodations, and I wanted to make sure they were fully aware of what they were getting into since I realize my vacations are not everyone’s idea of a good time.
But our friends didn’t hesitate.
We took a 10-hour redeye direct from SFO to Nadi.
My brothers journey was not so smooth. Weather delays, cancelled flights, bad airport hotels, and a lost bag turned his trip into a travel nightmare. Remarkably, both he and later his bag, eventually made it to our remote location.
We landed in Nadi International Airport on the west coast of mainland Fiji, and recovered from our jetlag in a hotel.
The Fijian hospitality is world class, and still the best I’ve ever experienced. We were greeted with a hearty “Bula!” everywhere we went.
The word Bula has multiple meanings such as hello, welcome, good day, cheers, or bless you. We often heard “Bula Vinaka!” which translates into “wishing you a good life.”
I wonder how many problems could be resolved if we all greeted people this way.
The Fijian people completely embody this spirit of warmth, benevolence, and peace.
The next morning we boarded a ferry to the Yasawa Islands, watching the occasional flying fish skip across the waves as the anticipation grew. The boat makes 16 stops each direction every day on it’s 9-hour roundtrip journey.
When we arrived at our island, we hopped on a water taxi over to the beach, as juvenile blacktip reef sharks swam under the boat.
After an orientation talk, we checked into our rooms, all of which had open air bathrooms and showers (no ceiling). This would be our home for the next five days.
That afternoon we went on the guided snorkel trip on the house reef. Everyone was blown away by the vibrant coral and abundant fish life, along with a five-foot blacktip shark that swam by to investigate.
They have extensive reef so the water is generally very calm.
On day two we hopped on a snorkel tour and took a boat about 10 minutes to Moia reef where we spent an hour with about 15 whitetip and blacktip reef sharks with fantastic coral and 100-foot visibility. With the exception of one person in our group who screamed the entire time (they will not be named), everyone enjoyed the experience immensely.
Later that day my wife, brother, and I took a scuba refresher course on the house reef right off the beach. We had not been diving since before we had children, but the skills came back quickly.
I had forgotten how meditative and calming diving can be; to be weightless with only the rhythmic sounds of my breathing and bubbles, marveling at the intricacy of life below the surface.
The next morning, we got early breakfast and headed back to the dive shop for the world-famous Awakening Shark Dive, founded by French Marine Biologist Thomas Vignaud, and operating for 13 years.
Sidenote—shark populations have declined by about 80% worldwide since 1970 (due to overfishing) , so conservationists argue that a live shark generates significant jobs and tourist revenue that give people a new appreciation for these mighty creatures. (Scuba divers are seldom attacked).
As you can imagine, you take the top predator out of any ecosystem and it throws everything way out of balance, not to mention they have been on earth for over 400 million years, surviving five mass extinction events!
Skies were cloudy and the sea was choppy, but excitement was high when we caught sight of the enormous lurking bull sharks in the distance just after we entered the water.
We had a total of five sharks, including one shy lemon shark at the end of the dive.
Often the sharks came so close the dive instructors used a long metal pole with a hoop on the end to gently nudge the apex predators away from the divers—we were seated in the sand behind a small coral wall.
It was an awesome thing to witness. (My wife and I had actually done this almost 20 years before).
Each night the staff would play guitar and sing as we sat on the northernmost point of Kuata island under the stars. A guy with a plastic bottle filled with sand played a drum beat on a wooden crate. The kids would collect hermit crabs or lay in the gentle waves at sunset just floating and staring at the green islands surrounding us. The staff on Kuata learned all of our names and were so friendly and kind.
On day six of our trip, we jumped back on the ferry to go further north to Drawaqa island, a protected marine reserve, to spend the next five days there.
The wind was howling (like 30mph) and the ferry ride had big swells that day. We mostly endured that leg of the journey.
Thankfully, the bay where we were staying was sheltered from the wind and calm as a result. Although the wind howled for the next several days, we made the most of it.
We picked this second island because it is one of the best places in the world to snorkel with giant manta rays. If you are unfamiliar with mantas, they have no stinging barb and eat plankton, so they are completely harmless although some species can reach sizes up to 25 feet wide.
On our first attempt, we got really unlucky and saw no Mantas for the entire hour. It’s a drift snorkel where they drop you in the water and you float at high speed through the channel watching for the creatures to emerge. It was rough water and we mostly drank sea water through our snorkels.
However, we went the next morning at sunrise and were treated to nine manta sighting—the afternoon group had 16. It was spectacular.
The team there has identified 133 individual mantas which they have named. Fiji has also been regrowing coral since 2006, which we were able to see when we were there.
Later that day, three members of our group, including my 10-year-old daughter and my friends 10-year-old son tried scuba diving for the first time (10 is the minimum age for Junior diver program). They took them to a shallow calm lagoon and the kids had a great time. It was the fulfillment of a dream and I was aware we had just crossed a big milestone.
The next night we joined a night snorkel tour where we saw all kinds of creatures that only come out on the reef at night—like lobsters and even a decorator crab who adorned it’s shell with three large anemones. The kids just loved having their own waterproof flashlight although they kept blinding the other participants. At one point the dive guides asked everyone to turn off their lights and they used a UV light which caused the coral to appear extremely bright against the dark water.
We all left Fiji with full hearts and feeling deeply rested. It was time away from screens, phones, work, and the incessant demands and hurry of everyday life.
Research on vacations and guiding principles
Every time I take a longer vacation, I am reminded of the significant benefits of detaching and breaking the normal routine.
I came back rested and recharged—having built memories we will never forget.
The research is remarkably consistent and shows that vacations benefit individuals and the companies they work for.
A recent meta-analysis in the Journal of Applied Psychology examined 32 studies and found that vacations have significant positive effects on well-being that last much longer than initially thought (Grant et al, 2025). “It is especially key that employees detach from work psychologically and engage in physical activity.” Companies should reinforce policies that allow people to fully detach whenever possible from the work they do.
Similarly, psychologist Thomas Gilovich has done a substantial body of research demonstrating that people gain more happiness from experiences than material possessions. In his humorously titled experiment, Waiting for Merlot, he found that looking forward to an experience raises overall happiness, excitement, and patience. This explains why planning or remembering a great trip, can sometimes be as enjoyable as taking it.
In 2018, the American Psychological Association Work and Well-Being Study showed a wealth of benefits from vacations, including that employees return more productive and more likely to say positive things about their company.
Importantly, you don’t need an elaborate or expensive trip to reap the benefits, research shows that simple family camping trips and road trips can have the same advantages.
Wayne Mueller writes that all life requires a rhythm of rest. After my recent trip, I am reminded of how true that is.
But the greatest gift was the chance to step away from the constant demands of everyday life and regain perspective. To share memories with the people I love. And to return rested, grateful, and ready for the season ahead.
In a culture that constantly urges us to do more, sometimes the best thing we can do is pause and step back in order to see the whole picture more clearly again.
Have a great weekend!
Parker
