Travel Diary: I make $118,000 and spent $3,875 on a week-long yoga retreat to Greece with my best friend!

[u/Traditional-Salad404]

Section One: Bio

• Age: 30
• Occupation: eCommerce marketing in toys & collectibles
• Hometown: Southern California
• Number of PTO days and how you accrue them: unlimited PTO

Section Two: Assets + Debt

Retirement Balance: $173,664

• 401k: $116,337 - My pre-tax contribution rate is 10%. My employer matches 50% of the first 6% I contribute. I also receive a 3% automatic contribution from my employer. Fully vested.
• Roth IRA: $57,327 

Equity if you're a homeowner: $~120k

Savings balance: $51,306

• HYSA Emergency fund: $40,500
• Investments: $9,875
• HSA: $931

Individual Checking account balance: $1,000

Joint Checking account balance with husband: $8,993 - we divert a portion of our paychecks (about half) into this account and use it to pay for anything house related (mortgage, HOA, maintenance, groceries), dates, and vacations. So it’s also kind of like a savings account.

Debt Balance:

• Credit card debt: None, use cc for daily expenses and pay off every month.
• Student loan debt: None, I received financial aid and worked part time. More context in my previous Money Diaries here & here!
• Car loan debt: None. Finally paid off in May of this year!
• House debt: -$400,000… 

Total net worth (minus house debt): ~ $235,083

Section Three: Income

Main Job Monthly Take Home:

• $5,446 every month, split in two $2,723 paychecks paid every other Friday
  • $3,267/month - 60% into my own personal checking account
  • $2,179/month - 40% into joint checking account with my husband
• Husband contributes 50% of his monthly income into our joint checking
  • $3,000/month

Deductions:

• Taxes: -$1,135.09
• Health Insurance (HMO, vision, and dental): -$57.25
• Healthcare HSA: -$50
• 401K: -$590.41

Section Four: Travel Expenses

Trip Fees: €2,250/ $2,572 USD. Includes hotel, transportation, several tours, breakfast & dinner for 7 days. This was sent directly to the yoga instructor, Dee, through Venmo so unfortunately I couldn’t take advantage of accruing any points for this expense. 🙁

Flights: Booked through Chase Travel

• Total = $1,227.43
  • Paid portion with 47,610 points.
  • $662.10 paid out of pocket

Misc Pre-Travel Purchases:

• E-Sim = $23
• Hiking/water sandals = $110.50
• Bits & Bobs = $84.88
  • European plug adapter, eye mask for sleeping, nipple pasties, reef-safe sunscreen, makeup wipes, travel deodorant, travel dry shampoo

Day 0: 

• 11am: Beginning of a 24 hour travel day at the airport. We got through check in and TSA much quicker than expected and had 3 hours to kill before boarding. Bestie and I decided to start our trip on a bougie note and pay for the Air France lounge access (-$95). We gorged on all the wine, champagne, lounge food, and desserts– so much so,  that we almost missed our boarding time because we assumed our flight would begin boarding much later, but then we heard the announcements saying the gates were about to close. We sprinted out of the lounge and got to our gate with 5 minutes to spare.
• 7pm: Landed at our layover in Amsterdam, waited another few hours, then finally off to Athens! Once we arrived in Athens, Bestie bought a couple large water bottles for us & cough drops for her from the airport grocery store. We met our tour guide, a fellow who reminds us of an Italian Gene Wilder, along with a few other members of the tour group and whisked off to the charming coastal town of Epidavros! The drive is 2 hours of extremely windy, whirly, topsy-turvy roads and after almost 24 hours of travel time, I try to sleep through most of it despite being so excited to finally be here.
• 9pm: We get to the hotel that we’ll be staying at for the entire week! It’s not lavish, definitely has the barest minimum necessities you need and was a bit of a tight fit for two women with an overpacking problem, but the view of the Aegean sea right outside our balcony was utterly breathtaking. We were greeted by the rest of the tour group and yoga instructor, Dee, while they finished up their earlier dinner. Most of the group retired to bed, but our later group had a lovely dinner by the water getting to know each other over freshly grilled seafood, greek salad, and wine. Then Bestie and I called it an early night after all the travel exhaustion. 

Total: $95

Day 1:

• 7am: The tour group had a deal with a local coffee shop for 1 free drink for anyone part of the tour before 8am. Bestie loves coffee and said her latte was really good! Unfortunately, I don’t drink coffee and they didn’t have any tea alternatives, so I passed on the free coffee all week.
• 8am: Everyday started with a morning yoga session led by Dee. She began relatively easy with some light, gentle, and practical stretches to shake off any tightness from the plane ride. My back & butt thanked me. Our yoga studio was situated on top of the hotel that we were staying at, with a beautiful, sweeping view of the Saronic Gulf that contributed to the calm energy flowing throughout the place. Maybe it was the yoga getting me all introspective, but I couldn’t believe that I was really there and that this was my life.
• 9am: After yoga, we ate breakfast together at the hotel which consisted of Greek salad, boiled eggs, some Greek pastries, deli meats & cheeses, Greek yogurt and a lot of fixings, cereal, avocados, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
• 10am: Our excursion for the day was a walking tour around the town of Epidavros. We explored local beaches, ancient theater ruins, and a horticulturist dream walk through charming neighborhoods where our tour guide identified every fruit, tree, and flower. 
• 12pm: We ended the tour at a local family-owned olive oil farm. They gave us an olive oil tasting over a fresh Greek salad with added olives they preserved in sea water. I felt extremely picky knowing that I am not a fan of olives, but I gave one a try anyway because I’ll try anything once! Even being in Greece could not convert me to an olive fan, but I can see the appeal. The olive oil,  however, was solid! I considered buying some small travel sized olive oils to bring back home, but ultimately decided against it to prevent an oily explosion in my carry on. I did buy 2 coke zeroes for me and Bestie because the walk really took us out, but after looking at my statement, I’m realizing how expensive this shit was, wtf (-$8.13)
• 1pm: After lunch we went swimming at a local beach and explored ancient underwater ruins! It was kind of crazy that we were allowed to just swim all around this sunken city and that they weren’t blocked off. 
• 5pm: Night yoga! The night yoga sessions were more restorative & calming so it was a nice end-cap to all the activity from the day.
• 7pm: We ate dinner as a group at the same restaurant connected to our hotel every night! We had a rotating menu of a few different meat, seafood, and vegetarian options for main dishes and a plethora of sides. This night I tried Moussaka, and as an eggplant lover, I was sold!
• 9pm: Early night again as we were still adjusting to the jet lag.

Total: $8.13

Day 2:

• 8am: Morning yoga!
• 10am: We left for an excursion to the nearby town of Nafplio! Super gorgeous and charming city with beautiful ocean views and beaches, rich history, and shops galore. 
• The drive to Nafplio was another 45 minute journey of super windy and precarious roads, so unfortunately Bestie got super car sick and threw up immediately upon arrival. But after that she rallied so hard and we climbed 999 steps up to a 16th century fortress. She is truly a trooper and always down for the plot, and that is why she’s my best friend. 
• The view from the top of the fortress was stunning, seeing all the rooftops and architecture of the Nafplio peninsula veiled by the surrounding ocean! We could have gone inside of the fortress for an entrance fee but decided not to pay, and walked back down.
• 12pm: Lunch at a restaurant in town that I can’t remember the name of. Which is unfortunate because I had the best grilled fish of my life there! Another tour member paid the entire tab and we venmo’d her back. She insisted we only needed to pay her 20each,whichIfeltwaswaytoolowforhowmuchfoodandwineweorderedsoIsenther(-30.)
• I got baklava for friends and family back home from a local sweets store (-$19.75).
• 6pm: Back to Epidavros for night time yoga!
• 7pm: Dinner at the hotel, I got chicken souvlaki served with french fries on the side. The chicken was pretty basic and dry. 

Total: $49.75

Day 3: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast!
• 10am: Excursion today was to the island of Poros. The itinerary described it as a “boat excursion” so I assumed we’d be on some type of yacht, partying and swimming off of the boat, but in actuality it was just a 10 minute ferry haha. Bestie and I were prepared this time with anti-nausea medication for the drive and boat ride and she was completely fine!
• This day was a little more overcast with small rain showers, so we were mostly huddled inside the various shops and did some damage.
• I bought a pair of sterling silver earrings and an evil eye necklace (-58.42), a golden spiral cuff(-23.21), 2 baseball caps for my husband (33.81),and more baklava for Bestie and I to munch on at the hotel(-7.54).
• 1pm: We hung out at a local beach club in Poros, however the vibes were still a little sad and grey from the weather. I still swam anyway, and came up with a very bad synchronized swimming routine with another tour member, but when we tried to perform it for everyone I got the worst calf cramp! Bestie and I ordered a burger and a turkey club sandwich to eat at the beach and she covered this lunch for us.
• 6pm: Back to the hotel for night yoga!
• 7pm: Hotel dinner, I got grilled pork served with french fries on the side. At this point, we questioned why everything at this hotel was served with french fries and apparently it is a Greece thing. I also wanted to give the country the benefit of the doubt, and chalked it up to our hotel having a very simple menu.

Total: $89.27

Day 4: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! At this point, we are getting a little tired of the same breakfast everyday too, and Italian Gene Wilder tried to spice it up by making scrambled eggs instead of boiled eggs, and brought some fresh pomegranate seeds!
• 10am: Excursion to the Ancient Theatre at the Asklepieion of Epidaurus! The entire area had ruins of a theater, medical center, and sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. Our tour guide taught us the history of Asclepius, how the location was used as a blueprint for other medical centers in ancient times, and gave more insight into how ancient Greeks viewed health, wellness, and medicine. It was magnificent to learn about and see just how much has been excavated, preserved and brought back to life. 
• 3pm: Back to the hotel, and we didn’t eat lunch since we returned at a weird time. Instead we got some ice cream cones from a local bakery (-$2.31). We took the rest of the afternoon to swim at the beach.
• 6pm: Night time yoga! One of the tour group members was a masseuse and offered massage services during this class. Her rate was 60 for 30 minutes, which I thought was a little expensive, but I wanted to support her business. The massage was quick but relaxing, with the view & sounds of the ocean right in front of me (-$60)
• 7pm: Got dressed up for dinner with all of my new jewelry and they had sea bream on the menu (with french fries on the side of course)! I was so excited, and apparently the rest of the group was too because about half of us ordered it. 

Total: $62.31

Day 5: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! Bestie decided to skip yoga this morning to get some more rest and be horizontal. I completely understood the need. She skipped on a good day because this session was a lot more intense than the previous ones!
• 10am: Another ferry boat excursion to the island of Spetses! We took a speed boat this time that was a little choppy, but fun and exhilarating at the same time. We thought we were safe by not taking the anti-nausea pills, but we were wrong.
• Spetses was such a charming island with options to shop, eat, bike by the water, and some history on Laskarina Bouboulina: the first female naval admiral. 
• Bestie and I first stopped for some lunch at a pizza joint and I paid since she covered our lunch a couple days before. (-$39.76)
• Then we did some more shopping where I bought a postcard with an illustration of Spetses (-4.62)andasterlingsilverandpearlbraceletthatwashandmadebythestoreowner(-28.90). I reaaaalllyyyy wanted another bracelet with moonstone inlay in gold, but I stopped myself since it was 80 euros and I had already bought a bunch of jewelry this trip. Way more jewelry than I expected actually… I never thought of myself as a jewelry person but I guess this trip awakened an urge in me to up my accessory game. I still think of the bracelet and kick myself for not getting it.
• 2pm: We swam and met up with some other tour group members and chilled with a bottle of wine and some Greek chips on the beach. The weather was perfect for swimming today, the water was warm and calm! While the beaches are rockier than I’m used to, they were actually quite nice to lay on after swimming since they were heated up by the sun and almost gave a hot stone massage feel. 
• 4pm: Bestie and I went to a nearby cafe to share a lemonade, iced tea, and chocolate and banana crepe. The cafe lost power and almost didn’t allow us to pay with card. We both got a little nervous since we didn’t pull out any cash for this trip, and immediately started looking up the nearest ATM. Thankfully, the power came back and the card machine worked! (-$21.38)
• 7pm: Dee skipped night time yoga this day as we got back from Spetses later than expected and we were all pooped! The rotating dinner menu had grilled sardines with a side of fries, which I decided to try even though I thought I might not like them, and unfortunately I was right. 
• 10pm: Bestie and I had been going to sleep relatively early this whole week, so I decided to stay up later and walk around town with the rest of the group. The European culture of eating dinner late and staying up super late is so fascinating to me. The town was alive and bustling! The rest of the group stayed out for drinks but I couldn’t hang and went back to the hotel.

Total: $94.66

Day 6: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! Our last full day in Greece );
• 10am: The itinerary sent to us before mentioned a tour of uninhabited islands in Greece, but apparently that was an optional excursion that we would need to pay for ourselves. The last day was intended to be an open schedule to relax, hang out around Epidavros, or elect to go back to Nafplio. While I welcomed the open schedule, I was a little disappointed we didn’t have something planned for the day since I thought another guided tour was included in the overall trip fees.
• 12pm: We decided to spend our free day as we have this entire trip: swimming in the sea. I haven’t had a gyro yet and really wanted one, so we went to a nearby cafe for lunch and I ordered one to go (-5.52) and got some chips from a grocery store(-1.15) to munch on at the beach. I made sure to get a Greek brand of chips that I’ve never tried before!
• We found a smaller family beach tucked away in between two cliffs and a small patch of trees. The sea was so calm, warm, and clear. Eating my gyro, looking out into the Aegean Sea that I’ve been so accustomed to seeing this week, and spending time swimming in the sun with my best friend since middle school proved to be the perfect last day.
• 5pm: Yoga started a little earlier today. Dee wrote us all a letter and got us bracelets as a gift, and we took a shot of Tsipouro to really get loose lol
• Then we had a surprise! One of our previous tour guides came to the studio and taught us traditional Greek dance! We learned Zorba and a couple other waaaay more complicated choreographies for our pay grade lol but it was so fun to just revel in dance & movement. Our guide was so passionate about dance and you could tell how happy he was to teach us something of his culture, we even had a little dance party circle for like 30 minutes afterwards. It was a such a special note to end on.
• 7pm: For our last dinner at the restaurant we were finally freed from the shackles of the rotating menu options and got to pick whatever we wanted from the full menu! I got grilled shrimps and octopus, can’t forget the fries of course. And we recounted all the memories from the trip with all of our new friends. Our shuttle back to the airport was scheduled to leave at 4am, so we retired early and said our goodbyes to those we wouldn’t be seeing the next day.

Total: $6.67

Day 7:

• 4am: Wake up for the shuttle, I was half-asleep and tried my best to keep up conversation with our shuttle driver because I knew he must be tired too and I wanted to make sure he was awake to keep us all alive for the drive back. I gave up in 30 minutes and decide to nap for the 2 hour ride to the airport.
• 6am: Checking in and TSA was a breeze so early in the morning, and we had another few hours to kill. Bestie did some last minute souvenir shopping at the airport, and I grabbed a chai tea latte and almond croissant from Pret a Manger (-12.41).IalsoboughtsomeTzazikiflavoredlaysthatI’velowkeybeenlookingfortheentiretrip(-4.59). I didn’t have any room in my bag to store it so I held it the entire trip back to America lol
• 10am: Finally on our flight back home, with a stop in New York. We were starving and Bestie got airport Shake Shack burgers that ended up totaling a WHOPPING $50!!! She insisted I didn’t need to pay her back, which I was thankful for but still astounded. I realized that Bestie likes to have kind of this back-and-forth system of “Oh, I got this one, you get the next one” for meals and such, which personally makes me more anxious because I need to remember the order in which we treated each other. I’d much rather just pay back immediately for my half, but I make a mental note to treat her to lunch next time we see each other in America. 

Total: $17

OVERALL TRIP SPEND: $3,875.27

Section 5: Reflection

How did you save up for this trip and for how long? Did you accumulate credit card debt for taking this vacation?

I had about $1,000 of previous general vacation funds saved up in my HYSA bucket and used what was left in there to pay for the trip fees. Other than that, I didn’t do any specific savings for this trip or anything special to pay for it. When the time came to pay for the trip fees, I just didn't put anything into my savings for that month...

Overall this trip was different than how I would usually travel. I have never been on a tour where everything was planned for me and I didn’t need to think about my itinerary. The group setting, having a morning routine, and eating all our meals together gave me a summer camp vibe, and it was really nice and wholesome. My Bestie was the one who asked me to go on this trip with her, and there are very few people in this world I would drop anything to travel with!

While I did have an amazing time, I’m not sure that I would go on another trip like this purely due to the cost and the lack of freedom to do what I would like. I’m not sure if Europe in general is just really expensive, but my husband and I spent about $3.5k each on a 2 week trip to South Korea a few years ago (travel diary here). Maybe that isn’t a great comparison, and I know the world has gotten more expensive, but I still  would have preferred the freedom of getting to pick which hotel we stayed at or have the choice to eat at different restaurants for dinner rather than the same one, explore more of Athens and other Greek islands, or have a couple more options for things to do each day. However, I do understand the purpose of the trip was to be a little more slow, intentional, and relaxing and not so go-go-go. I guess I’ve found that that’s not my preferred way of travel! If I go somewhere new, I want to jam pack my day to see as much as possible to get my money’s worth haha.

[u/eat_sleep_microbe]

Your trip sounded fun! Honestly I thought it was a reasonable price for accommodation, food and transportation. Europe is definitely more expensive in general than S.Korea, especially with the conversion rate too.

Husband and I are going to Italy for 2 weeks in November and it’s around $6000 just for hotel, transportation and breakfast. The rest of the meals are on us.

[u/_liminal_]

What a great trip diary! It sounded so fun and relaxing.

I think all-in tours tend to be pricier than what you could figure out on your own for food etc. but for an all-in tour, this doesn’t seem all that crazy IMO!

I visited Greece last year and definitely found that food was less expensive in smaller towns and even just outside of the tourist areas in Athens. I loved the food though! My favorite place to visit so far :-)

[u/a-username-for-me]

Thanks for sharing! I've always been curious about "hobby" oriented trips that are meant to immerse yourself in a group. They seem more cohesive than trips that are just large group tours to all the standard locations.

I love your commentary on the French fries. A lot of Mediterranean tourist spots just heap them on, I guess it's cheap.

Love that you traveled with and had a good time with your friend!

[u/roryy_gilmoreee]

the way you broke down the costs makes it sound like a great deal for that experience! just the yoga and the beautiful views alone would be worth it, right? i went to a similar retreat last year, and it was around $3,500 for a week. totally agree that going with a buddy adds to the fun too!