JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out While Travelling

How to live the Italian dolce vita, travel slowly and embrace the joy of missing out during your vacation in Italy

The term "slow travel" has been gaining popularity in the travel world over the years. More recently it has evolved into the concept of JOMO, the "Joy of Missing Out". This term has quietly inched its way to the forefront of many conversations, but why?

In a time where travel is often measured by Instagrammable moments, visiting the most known and sought out destinations, solely because everyone else has gone there, and competitions for the most passport stamps a person can have, there is now a counter-movement gaining interest.

No more checklist tourism

The beauty of slow travel and the "Joy of Missing Out" is (thankfully in our view) replacing checklist tourism. This is true and relevant especially when travelling to a destination like Italy, where the sites to see would be too many to do in a lifetime, let alone during a trip of one or two weeks.

The idea is very simple: to invite travelers to slow down, and avoid the frantic pace of trying to do it all, whilst instead actually relaxing and enjoying their vacation.

La Dolce Vita

While travelling to Italy, JOMO fits perfectly with the Italian "La Dolce Vita" culture that is the simplicity of enjoying life. The art of embracing the freedom to do less and simply be, is how we say in Italian, "il dolce far niente" … the sweetness of doing nothing. Allowing oneself to accept that when they travel to Italy, they cannot do it all, and instead of focusing on the FOMO "fear of missing out" it actually leads the traveler to create more meaningful travel experiences.

Finding the joy in spontaneous, slow walks following the cobblestone through unknown streets of Trastevere in Rome, or reading a book, listening to the birds chirping in Boboli Gardens in Florence, allows you to deeply connect to Italy, which can be more internally rewarding than visiting sites solely due to their popularity by other travelers.

Take your time

This is best accomplished by staying longer in one destination, to soak in and enjoy the local life, at a slower pace. Imagine instead of rushing off to every landmark, just to check it off a list and say you did it, you’re enjoying your time sipping a Spritz at a local bacaro, or wine bar, in Venice or sitting at a caffe in Milan watching the locals, smartly dressed, chat over coffee while reading the local newspaper.

Dolce Far Niente

Slow travel allows you to fully grasp the Italian mentality of "dolce far niente". The freedom to linger, to stay longer in one place, to soak in the local life, and not have to rush to check landmarks off a list is the epitome of "JOMO". It's okay if you skip the top tourist attractions, if they don’t interest you—you're enjoying your morning cappuccino in the local square of San Rocco in Venice instead. Imagine what your vacation would look like, as you bask in the gleaming sunshine on a beach in Sardinia, or on a boat in the Amalfi Coast, instead of rushing from city to city, from tour to tour. Yes, maybe you’ll only spend your Italian vacation in one or two cities, but your time will be actually enjoyed and filled with value and quality.

From FOMO to JOMO

Not all vacations are meant to look the same, not every traveler is alike, so why be fearful of missing out, when you can savor slow moments. There is peace when you realize you cannot see and do it all, rest over rush is ultimately prioritized and quality over quantity is essential.

For some, the perfect vacation is hitting the Vatican, Pantheon, and Colosseum in Rome, then jetting off to Naples for a day, then Pompeii, Amalfi, and up to Florence and Venice, all in one week, and for others, that amount of fast paced movement and a packed itinerary is daunting. Maybe for you the ideal Italian getaway is calmly walking through the Botanical Gardens of Rome, being amazed at local artisan shops behind Santa Croce in Florence, taking a cooking class in Bologna, or escaping to relax at a spa or on a boat in Ischia.

Allowing space for rest is important, to end your vacation feeling rejuvenated and happy. Maybe this means spending your day at a luxury hotel, relaxing at the pool, lying on the beach sipping an Aperol Spritz, or tanning on a private boat in Sicily. Prioritize yourself and the activities that interest you.

It is your vacation

Your travel story is not determined by the joy of anyone else, each person has the power and the authority to decide their own interests and paint their own dream vacation. This means if you’re not a fan of history or spending your day in museums or art galleries, then maybe don’t stuff your itinerary with places like the Uffizi Gallery or Accademia in Florence, just to avoid returning home to friends or family shocked that you visited Rome without seeing the Vatican. Your vacation should be for you, not to impress anyone else.

At Kissfromitaly we can help you design your perfect trip to Italy, customized for you, based on your needs and travelling style. Contact us to know more.