We may be months past "Dry January," but the collective shift toward a life of sobriety is here to stay. Being sober isn’t just a way to start the year off; it can be a way to reset your lifestyle, no matter how social or celebratory the season is. While alcohol often seems like a default component of vacations and beachside relaxation, more travelers are exploring the joys of an alcohol-free, "dry vacation" or “dry tripping.”
According to a recent survey conducted by Hotels.com, an increase in “dry tripping,” or taking part in an alcohol-free vacation, has occurred among younger travelers. The trend highlights a growing interest in a more mindful approach to travel that centers one’s well-being over high alcohol consumption. The survey adds that more than 40% of travelers are considering booking a detox trip in the next year.
A report from Expedia found that “half of travelers say they would be interested in staying at a hotel that offers easily accessible alcohol-free options like mocktails or nonalcoholic beer.” This rise in sober-curious and fully-dry vacations has been linked to traveler’s desire to “stay in control,” and feel better emotionally and physically, with a greater focus on their overall experiences rather than the drinks themselves.
When it comes to a dry vacation, the benefits are clear. Not only can you enjoy the ease of a hangover-free travel experience, but sleep improves, you save more money from not buying drinks, and you can have more relaxation and recovery without the all-too-familiar haze of alcohol.
Whether you're looking to maintain your sobriety or simply want to try something new, here’s how you can enjoy a dry vacation of your own!
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Plan activities that don't center around drinking.
One of the best ways to enjoy a dry vacation is to plan activities that don’t revolve around alcohol. While being on the beach or poolside is a great way to relax, it can often bring the need to sip a pina colada or two. Instead, try booking excursions, going off-roading, and exploring the city's cultural art scene and museums. These are easy ways to immerse yourself in the culture and leave with lasting memories.
Connect with like-minded travelers.
Traveling sober can be easier when you connect with others who share your lifestyle. Look for travel groups or tours that cater to sober travelers; these groups can offer support and camaraderie, making your dry vacation more enjoyable.
Explore non-alcoholic beverage options.
Just because you’re not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious beverage. Many hotels and resorts now offer a variety of elevated, non-alcoholic options to support your sober vacationing experience. Your next virgin cocktail or mocktail awaits.
Enjoy quality wellness-focused experiences.
As a sober-curious traveler, you now have the option to book vacations that leave you feeling rejuvenated and well-rested, and with wellness trips, resorts, and retreats on the rise, these health-enhancing holidays often place alcohol low on the agenda, while prioritizing overall well-being.
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Skylar sees things differently. At the time, she was shooting content on her iPhone. Temi came into the picture with a new perspective, an understanding of tech, and, eventually, a camera. “He doesn't give himself enough credit,” Skylar says. “He wasn't just my tripod. He wasn't just standing behind the camera and going ‘click.’ He was giving advice. He was giving me insight to how I could look at things from a different perspective. And I was like, 'Oh, he’s an artist.' I think it was maybe a heartbeat of that kind of energy of like, ‘Baby, can you take this picture?’ And it turned so quickly into, we're partners. We can work together in a way where we're advancing each other's creative thinking.”
The pair often says they’re two sides of the same coin. Skylar is an Aquarius. She attended art school, paints, and loves poetry. She’s more than happy to let the couple’s management firm and agency, Kensington Grey, handle their admin work. And, she loves to sleep in. Temi, on the other hand, wakes up early. He’s a Virgo. He loves a to-do list and regularly checks in on the couple’s brand partnerships spreadsheet to make sure everything is on track.
Because his storytelling was steeped in his love of technology, he didn’t always think of himself as a creative person. “Where I [am] the dreamer who wants to pluck things out of the sky and spend all day with my head in the clouds, Temi [is] so good at grounding me and helping me figure out how to make things make sense on paper. We just work together in such a complimentary way,” Skylar says.
It’s been more than six years since Brooklyn-based couple Temi and Skylar started dating, and nearly four since they cemented their working relationship. On TikTok and Instagram, the couple’s travel, fashion, and home content regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views. They’ve worked with brands such as Coach, Aesop, Away, and Liquid IV, bringing their vibrant perspectives to every campaign they execute. Still, nearly two years since both Temi and Skylar committed to full-time content creation and creative directing, the couple says their romantic connection remains their priority.
“We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting,” Skylar says.
Working from home can make it hard to separate work from personal life for any entrepreneur. It can be even more challenging when your business partner is also your lover. Temi and Skylar had already used couples therapy as a tool to help them effectively communicate with one another. When they ran into challenges while working together, their therapist helped them set physical boundaries to help combat the issues.
"We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting."
“It actually took us doing very specific physical things to create boundaries between work and play in our relationship,” Skylar says. “So, for instance, we will only have conversations about work when we're out of bed or we're at the table or in the office. Initially, when we started, we had to light a candle to say that, 'Okay, this is a space where we're connecting, we’re not talking about work.' We needed really hard boundaries at the top. And then it became a little bit more organic.”
The boundaries have been crucial to implement, especially because the couple began working together so naturally. When the pair first met, Skylar was NY-based a social strategist for BuzzFeed and was using content creation to drive business to her lingerie company. She was shooting her own content. Temi was working for Microsoft in D.C. He’d recently traded in his DJing equipment for a camera. “I've always loved taking pictures,” he says. “Even when I was a kid, my African mother would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. [during a] party, and be like, 'Come take the family picture.'”
Growing up, Temi says he watched his parents support each other and be the true definition of partners. He knew he wanted the same for his own relationship. But, the couple also wanted to make sure they were being financially responsible. The pair didn’t quit their traditional jobs until they’d saved up two years' worth of their cost of living. And, Temi received his Master of Business Administration from New York University with the knowledge that it could either help him advance in his corporate career or be applicable to his business with Skylar.
Temi and SkylarCj Hart @hartbreakToday, they say their working relationship is more of a “quiet dance.” They still implement some of the boundaries they learned in therapy, but they also lean into their natural strengths and deep love for one another. When we speak, Temi has planned a date for the couple to see Princess Mononoke in 4K IMAX and added it to their Notion so they can factor it into their busy schedules. “I fully plan to date for the rest of my life,” he says.
Skylar says the couple doesn’t just wait for date nights to check in with one another, though. This often happens in the mornings, after Temi has made her peppermint tea and poured himself a cup of coffee. When they ask each other how they slept, she says, it’s not just a “nicety.” It’s a genuine question meant to foster connection.
“A lot of it happens during the day in the midst of work. We'll stop and we'll hug. Or we’ll slow dance in the kitchen,” she says. “Sometimes it's hard to set a whole date night when you have 7,000 things going on. So, we must grasp these moments and check in when we can. And I think it's become so organic to us that I actually didn't even realize how often we do it. But all day long, we're like, 'Are you good? I felt like your energy shifted,' because we're best friends, we just know. We just feel it happen.”
What’s better than being in love? Building wealth while doing it. Watch Making Cents here for real stories of couples who make money moves together.
Featured image by Cj Hart @hartbreak