The Mid Life Dating Files 2025

What activities do you lose yourself in?

The Three Places I Lose Myself (Preferably All at Once)

People often ask, “What activities do you lose yourself in?”

Some people say yoga. Some say reading. Some say meditation.

Me? I lose myself in shopping, traveling, and spending time with my family.

Now, let me clarify something important: I don’t just enjoy those things individually. No, no. I reach peak happiness when all three are happening at the same time.

Because when my family and I are traveling somewhere fun in the world, wandering through shops we definitely don’t need to be in, that’s when life gets really entertaining.

Picture this.

We’re somewhere exciting — maybe a cruise ship headed toward an island, maybe an airport terminal, maybe a random street lined with shops we’ve convinced ourselves we must explore. There’s shopping bags, laughter, drinks in hand, and at least one person in the family saying, “We probably shouldn’t spend any more money today.”

Spoiler alert: we will.

Traveling with my family is less of a vacation and more of a live comedy show.

There will absolutely be:

Gambling Shopping Drinking Card playing Laughing until we cry

And then there are the family traditions.

For example, Dad will deliver sarcastic jokes that are so dry they take a moment to process before everyone starts laughing.

Mom, on the other hand, is our official travel critic. She provides commentary on everyone and everything within a 20-foot radius. No one is safe. Not the tourists. Not the waiters. Not the chef.

Speaking of chefs…

Mom somehow manages to have the wrong meal brought to her every single time we travel. I don’t know how it happens. It’s almost impressive.

One time she managed to get French onion soup all over herself, which she immediately blamed on the chef.

Naturally.

Then there’s the morning routine.

Every morning of vacation begins with the same two things:

mimosas and laughter.

At some point, there will also be a moment where I become the unofficial bartender because the actual bartender can’t come past a certain point on the cruise ship or resort area.

So guess who’s mixing drinks?

That would be me.

Then there’s flying.

Flying with my mom is its own special event.

If I raise the window shade on the airplane, she immediately informs me I’m breaking airline rules.

I then get the pleasure of explaining that opening a window shade is not, in fact, illegal.

The same goes for airplane mode on the phone. At least once per flight, she insists I’m doing it wrong and demands proof.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are laughing, rolling our eyes, and taking bets on what will happen next.

And somewhere between the traveling, the shopping, the gambling, the sarcastic jokes, the mimosas, the wrong meals, and the accidental soup disasters… I realize something.

This is exactly where I lose myself.

Because when my family and I are together — exploring somewhere new, laughing at ridiculous moments, and probably shopping when we shouldn’t be — that’s when I’m having the best time of all.

So if someone asks again what activities I lose myself in, the answer is simple:

Shopping.

Traveling.

Family time.

Preferably all at the same time.

Because honestly… I can’t think of a better way to get lost.🚢🥂🎰✈️🛍️🌎