Who Needs Valentine’s Day? Try a ‘Hobbiday’

In a culture that equates love with grand gestures and packed calendars, a quieter movement is emerging — one that asks: what if the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself? Enter the “Hobbiday,” where travel sheds its checklist mentality and becomes an act of quiet rediscovery. It is less about landmark selfies and more about immersion. Think pottery retreats, music workshops, weaving residencies, gardening stays and writing camps. Here, the journey is inward as much as it is outward, shaped by craftsmanship, curiosity, and the luxury of slowing down.

Rakshitha Harimurthy, Model, artist and curator

The decision to take a hobby-focused holiday was less about escape and more about meaning. “I wanted a break that felt meaningful rather than hurried,” she says. Unlike packed vacations, this let her slow down and be present, using creativity and quiet learning to reconnect with herself. Was it burnout? Curiosity? Something missing? She reflects, “It’s a gentle mix of all three.” There was fatigue, yes, but more than that, a longing for something simple and fulfilling. “I hadn’t realised how much joy comes from doing something without outcomes or expectations.” Immersion brought calm and clarity. “Leisure isn’t time away from productivity. It’s essential to it. When it’s intentional, it restores creativity and changes how you show up in everyday life.”

Shrima Rai, Mrs India Globe 2009

For Shrima Rai, former banker, Mrs India Globe 2009 and digital creator, the shift was equally personal. “I was craving slowness,” she says. Stepping away from hustle culture and rigid itineraries felt like a reset for her nervous system. “There was burnout, but also a feeling that I’d forgotten how to take it easy — to not live by a to-do list.”

Immersing herself in a hobby brought unexpected presence. “Time softened. I wasn’t reaching for my phone.” And the takeaway was profound: “Rest isn’t about doing nothing — it’s about doing something slowly, intentionally, and purely for yourself.”

Dr Neeshma Reddy, Radiologist

For Dr Neeshma Reddy, a radiologist at Nikhil Hospitals, this was less about travel and more about transforming the way she pauses. “This wasn’t just another holiday; it was a shift in how I choose to take a break,” she says. Though she has travelled often, this was the first time a trip was planned entirely outside her usual rhythm, with trekking and cliff jumping followed by yoga and meditation the next morning. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I genuinely loved it.”

What surprised her most was the ease of slowing down. “It felt so refreshing to simply be present, without rushing through plans or ticking off experiences,” she reflects. The experience reframed her idea of leisure. “It doesn’t always mean doing nothing; sometimes it means doing something new that reconnects you with yourself.” Being closer to nature felt grounding and restorative, and she hopes for many more such meaningful breaks, especially with her children.

In a world obsessed with validation, the real luxury may be enjoying your own company and rediscovering joy without an audience.