When you’re in your 20s and you plan a vacation, your biggest concern is usually whether the hotel has Wi-Fi—or if you packed enough going-out shirts. You’re young, invincible, and flexible (literally and figuratively). You toss some clothes in a bag, grab whatever grooming products are lying around, and you’re gone.
Forget organization. There’s no toiletry bag. Just a handful of loose items rattling around in your backpack or duffel. Some hair gel, a little cologne, maybe some crusty toothpaste if you remembered it. All your “personal care” stuff just kind of lives with your underwear and your socks.
But vacation in your 40s?
It hits different.
Now, the toiletry bag isn’t an afterthought—it’s the main character. It’s not some little zip-up pouch. No. It’s a fold-out, multi-compartment situation that hangs.
And not just anywhere. It has to hang on the back of the bathroom door like it’s checking into its own hotel room. You unzip it and it unfolds like a medical supply kit in a war movie.
Gone are the days of hair products. No more gel. No more hairspray. No more “styling mousse” that promised volume and shine.
Because…nobody has hair anymore.
Instead, it’s prescriptions. Propecia. A couple antidepressants. Some high-quality stool softener because we all know traveling messes with your system. You’ve got supplements. Maybe even one of those pill organizers labeled by day of the week.
And then there’s the gear.
My buddy brought resistance bands on a recent trip—not for a vacation pump, but for rehab. He had a shoulder issue and needed to stay on top of his PT. So before we went out for dinner, he had to find a sturdy hotel door to hook them to and go through his external rotation exercises like it was part of his pregame routine.
It’s like we’ve gone from vacation mode to maintenance mode.
Travel used to be about getting away. Now it’s about keeping up. With your body, your habits, your health. You’re not just escaping life for a few days—you’re bringing a carry-on full of coping mechanisms.
But here’s the thing: that’s not a bad thing.
Taking care of yourself on vacation isn’t lame—it’s wise. It means you’ve learned something over the years. You know your body has needs, and you’re not afraid to prioritize them.
You can still have fun. You can still go out. But you’re not trying to “rally” on 3 hours of sleep anymore. You’re trying to feel good enough to actually enjoy the trip.
So hang that toiletry bag proudly. Pull out your supplements and resistance bands. You’ve earned this version of vacation—one that feels less like escape, and more like restoration.
Because when you’re over 40, self-care travels with you.
Literally.
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