About Vacays

Vacays is here to serve as a travel and wellness movement, exploring the role of vacation in preventing burnout and restoring balance in American life.

After years of working in the mental health field, I began to notice a pattern that felt impossible to ignore: chronic stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion normalized as part of everyday life. Many Americans are living to work rather than working to live — postponing rest, delaying vacation, and wearing burnout as a badge of honor.

I’ve sat with people who were depleted, overwhelmed, and convinced that slowing down wasn’t an option.

At the same time, I watched something else unfold culturally.

In the United States, it’s not uncommon to hear people speak proudly about how much PTO they’ve accumulated — precisely because they never take it. Unused vacation days become a symbol of commitment. Long hours become proof of ambition. Rest becomes something to justify.

The cost of that mindset is real.

Rising stress. Declining mental health. Disconnection from joy and presence.

Why Vacays Exists

Vacays exists to reframe vacation as essential mental healthcare.

Research consistently shows that time away from work reduces stress, supports emotional regulation, strengthens relationships, and prevents burnout. Yet American work culture continues to treat vacation as optional — or worse, indulgent.

Vacays challenges that narrative.

Through research-backed insights, cultural exploration, and intentional travel writing, this platform examines how vacation impacts mental well-being — and what Americans can learn from countries where rest is protected and work-life balance is prioritized.

Because rest is not the opposite of productivity. It sustains it.

What You’ll Find Here

Vacays centers around four pillars:

Mental Health & Burnout
The psychology of stress, burnout recovery, and the measurable benefits of rest.

Cultural Travel & Work-Life Balance
What Americans can learn from countries that prioritize vacation and slower living.

Wellness Travel
Slow, restorative trips designed to support mental well-being — not exhaust it.

Vacation Mindset
Breaking free from guilt, redefining productivity, and shifting from living to work toward working to live.

An Invitation

If you’ve ever felt guilty for taking time off…
If you’ve ever postponed vacation “until things calm down”…
If you’ve ever felt proud of unused PTO while quietly feeling exhausted…

You’re not alone.

Vacays is here to advocate for a healthier rhythm — one where vacation is protected, rest is respected, and life is lived fully, not just efficiently.

Because we were never meant to live exhausted.

Hi, I'm Nin, founder of Vacays, wife, mom of two, and someone who believes life is meant to be lived, not just worked through.

Like many people, I used to think vacations were something you earned after working hard enough. There was always another project to finish, another responsibility to take care of, or another reason to put the trip off until "someday."

Around 2017, something shifted. I realized I didn't want to spend my life constantly waiting for the next break. I wanted rest to become part of the way I lived.

I still work hard, and I always will. I love having purpose and working toward meaningful goals. But I no longer believe success means sacrificing my well-being.

Today, I make intentional vacations a non-negotiable part of my life. On average, I take at least one vacation every three months. Sometimes it's a weekend road trip. Other times it's an adventure somewhere across the world. The destination is not what matters most.

What matters is stepping away from the constant demands of everyday life. It's the opportunity to disconnect from work, experience different cultures, spend uninterrupted time with the people I love, and come home feeling refreshed instead of depleted.

I've learned that taking time away doesn't take away from my work. It allows me to return with more energy, more creativity, and a greater appreciation for both my career and my life. And, perhaps surprisingly, more productive.

Instead of feeling guilty for taking time away from work, I realized those intentional breaks helped me show up as a better wife, mom, professional, friend, and person.

My background in health and well-being introduced me to the growing body of research showing that intentional vacations can reduce stress, help prevent burnout, strengthen relationships, improve overall well-being, and even improve workplace performance. When I discovered the research, it reflected exactly what I had experienced in my own life.

That's when Vacays was born.

Vacays exists to challenge the idea that being busy is the same as being successful. We believe vacations are more than a luxury or a reward. They're an investment in living a healthier, happier, and more meaningful life.

Our mission is to inspire people to step away from hustle culture, embrace intentional vacations, experience the richness of different cultures, and create a life filled with more presence, connection, and joy.

Thank you for being here. Whether you came for the research, the travel inspiration, or simply because you're looking for permission to slow down, welcome.

Welcome to Vacays.

A place where research meets travel, and where vacations are viewed as an investment in a healthier, happier life.

More Vacays. More Life.