Health issues for five years and need a vacation. IDGAF

January 19, 2023 1:26 AM

As a single man in my mid 40's, after five years of health issues, where should I go on vacation in February 2023 if money and vacation time aren't an issue?

I've had health issues for most of the past five years. First was a vanishingly rare pituitary condition that is the most complicated and boring topic for me, then on 1/2/2022 I got Covid, turned to long Covid and I spent all of 2022 researching my own treatment for that, successful as of Thanksgiving 2022. That out of the way? Because online dating has been tough, summarizing that. Summarizing online dating; I just turned 46 so that five years of health issues means I woke up in a new world (also politics and Covid, but still). Hormone replacement, and some supplements mean I'm getting younger as the days go, I have a lot of money saved and a ton of vacation time I need to use. Online dating in my 40s: two potential women broke up with me so that they could be single and alone while their fathers died. Today the one that had potential, her fiance called me from her phone, good guy, gave me a solid warning. All that summarized fast? IDGAF and I need a vacation. I know I should stop, take dance and surf lessons, join meetups. But I did this during the brighter points of the last five years. Oh and I also only produce Oxytocin if I have sex, but that's point. I can't sit still. When I realized I was better this wicked mania hit, eased a bit by Christmas, but the phone call of the fiance was today. I'll be going to Rome in May for work and will burn the rest of the vacation travelling Europe. But I want to get out now and dance around the world. I'm thinking Ibiza, Barcelona, or Lisbon for a week or so?

posted by ender6574 to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

Any large city in Europe will have clubbing so it's hard to go too badly wrong. Of the cities, Berlin is the place I most associate with having a big interesting scene, probably followed by London and Barcelona, but I'm sure there are others. These should all have something going on every night.

Other party places include Ibiza, Ayia Napa in Cyprus, Mykonos in Greece, and probably somewhere in Croatia (which is very fashionable right now). But I think of those, I'm only sure that can party in Ibiza in February, and even then it might be more weekend-based than midweek.
posted by plonkee at 4:23 AM on January 19, 2023

I don’t have a specific place in mind but I will point out that Fat Tuesday is February 21 so if you wanted to wild out someplace where that’s a big deal, that might be more fun that going somewhere random in February.
posted by kat518 at 11:53 AM on January 19, 2023

A warm climate with low humidity has always done wonders for my health and well-being (she typed in the middle of a wet New York winter).
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:02 PM on January 19, 2023

Best answer: I will point out that Fat Tuesday is February 21 so if you wanted to wild out someplace where that’s a big deal, that might be more fun that going somewhere random in February.

A warning about this: it's only one month out, so nearly every inexpensive hotel in New Orleans has likely been booked by now, and has been since August. Expect to spend a couple thousand dollars for your hotel if you go this route.

I also find it telling that you described your state of mind as "mania", since....I have to be honest, it sounded a little like this is what you were experiencing to me as well. I still think it's okay to travel, but if you have a therapist or other mental health caregiver it may be a good idea to give them a call for a quick "can we just look under the hood a second" visit, or to maybe consider a quiet-retreat kind of getaway as well as a "kick out the jams, let's party" one.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:03 AM on January 20, 2023 [1 favorite]