We often hear that vacations are a time to rest. But are you really resting when you travel?

During my last trip to California - at the end of December and in the first week of January - I tried something different. I passed through Los Angeles, visited the wineries of Napa Valley and Sonoma, and ended up in San Francisco, a city that has always been on my bucket list.

And between one journey and another, I remembered a book I read in college: The Sociology of Tourism, by Jost Krippendorf. The author talks about true rest: the kind that only happens when you give your body time to slow down, adapt and finally rest. According to him, this really starts to happen after the third week of vacation.

The impact of weather on the travel experience

And that's exactly what I felt. Three weeks away from the routine allowed me something rare: to really feel each place I visited, without rushing around. Of course, not everyone can (or wants to) travel for so long. But the point is not the total length of the trip, but the pace at which you experience it.

Why two days aren't enough (even if they say they are)

You'll find that two days are enough to get to know San Francisco. And technically they are, if you just want to see the sights. But if you want to feel the city, discover how it breathes, eat well and understand its soul, two days is barely enough.

I spent four days there and it was transformative. There were museums, walks in the park, incredible local restaurants and that good feeling of "I'm really here". And that, for me, is the new luxury: having time.