HOW TO MAXIMIZE SUMMER BLEISURE TRAVEL

A few boundaries can go a long way

- GREELEY KOCH

LET'S BE HONEST: The term “bleisure” sounds less like a travel trend and more like something your doctor might diagnose after a questionable seafood lunch. But quirky name aside, the blending of business and leisure travel is very real—and with summer here, it's in full swing.

Maybe you're reading this at the gate, boarding pass in hand, en route to a vacation. Or maybe you're pacing through the terminal on a business trip, eyeing gates bound for Hawaii or the Amalfi Coast. Either way, you might be suffering from a severe case of bleisure envy. It's real. It's relatable. And it's increasingly common.

Truth is, Americans are terrible at unplugging. Even when we try to combine leisure with business, we have this inexplicable urge to check emails by the pool, join Zoom calls from the hotel lobby, and respond to Slack messages while hiking a scenic trail. Meanwhile, my European friends are perfecting the art of truly being out of office—no email, no Teams, no Zoom. Just rosé, a good book and digital silence. Bleisure? For them, barely a thing. For us? A way of life.