I used to spend a lot of time and money on holidays abroad in the sun. Whilst I came back looking and feeling relaxed, and with a great tan, I’ve since found that there are plenty of other places to visit, and that lying around on a beach isn’t always the most interesting thing to do. Spray tanning still gives me the same appearance I’m used to, though.

I used to look forward to my holidays on the beach every year: two weeks of sitting in the sun, swimming in the sea, and partying in the evenings. The Mediterranean used to be my favourite destination – good food and good wine were a bonus. The cultural side of things didn’t tend to interest me so much, until one uncharacteristically cloudy day I decided to take a wander round some of the nearby towns, including some ancient ruins. After that I was a convert: no more lying in the sun on my holidays (at least, only the occasional day rather than two weeks straight). But I still loved the appearance of a suntan, so had to employ the benefits of spray tanning on my return!

Some of this is probably nothing more than vanity. I’ve looked tanned and healthy for years, and I like to work out in the gym three or four times a week. I don’t want to turn up white and pasty-looking. Spray tanning allows me to keep the same skin hue I’ve had for so long, but I’ve also discovered benefits to more active holidaying. Truth be told, I realised I was never entirely satisfied with the fun-in-the-sun type of summer break: it was something I looked forward to, but generally only went on because we always had had this kind of holiday as a family and I was just doing what we’d always done – this time, usually with friends.

It was a bit of an awkward transition to the travelling-and-cultural-interest type of holiday, since the group of friends I hung around with mostly preferred relaxing on the beach. (Spray tanning also helped me avoid unwanted questions before I ‘came out’ to them as a history and culture buff.) Some of them saw the merits of trying something different, others came once or twice, and some never bothered. But now, I’m more interested in a week in Rome or Naples than just searing myself on a beach. In fact, I can’t spend that long out in the sun now – spray tanning gives me the appearance of 12 consecutive days under the blazing sun, without the sweat, heatstroke, dehydration and sunburn that occasionally went with it! Anyway, I see those friends back at home all the time, so I don’t miss their company too much on holiday.

Although I come back from holiday now just as relaxed, I also tend to feel invigorated – engaging with new things, learning about the places around me, and seeing evidence of cultures past has that effect. In contrast, two weeks in the sun was relaxing, but by the end of it I tended to feel tired, almost depressed – it had a strangely decelerating effect on me, and not in a good way. Two weeks of laziness just made me lazy and unproductive at work, too. The only thing that didn’t fit with this new energy was my skin; spray tanning made me look the same on the outside as I felt on the inside.

I’ve also saved a load of money, since the types of beach holiday I favoured tended to be quite expensive, after factoring in flights, hotels, and quite a lot of alcohol. Exploring the towns and local areas of interest is far cheaper, and spray tanning doesn’t tend to add much cost either. That means I get to spend more time abroad rather than blowing my entire holiday budget in a once-a-year extravaganza.