Why I vacation

June 30, 2016

Why I vacation

I grew up in two families. My Mom, step-Dad and sisters & my Dad, step-Mom and brothers. Because of this I grew up going on many vacations. With my Mom, I went to Ocean City Maryland every summer for a week. On top of that we did many trips to visit family, and also, trips to Kings Dominion and other amusement parks. With my Dad, we did a 2-3 week vacation every summer driving to different destinations, stopping at various places over night along the way and then a week at the planned destination - such as Florida or Tennessee and ultimately on our way home, a week at White Lake, NC.  Add to that, the fact that going to my Dad's for the summer felt like a vacation because he had a pool in the backyard. 

Fast forward to me being an adult. Vacations to me are just a normal part of life. I had my first son when I was 18, my 4th child when I was 26. My kids have also grown up going on vacations. They have gone to White Lake for a week every single year of their life, even when I was a single Mom and had to budget weekly to make sure it happened, it happened! There were years when we did other things as well, such as Ocean City, or Virginia Beach, sometimes a week at my Dad's (yes, he still has a pool.) However, White Lake was a given, my kids first choice if they had to make a choice. 

I raised my kids with an emphasis on travel being important and encouraged them to travel as much as they could when they grew up. Don't rush into kids and marriage or even serious relationships. Worry about yourself, get an education, figure out who you are, and travel. For the most part, they're doing that. 

Now, my kids are grown and I'm remarried. My husband and I love to travel. What's funny is that he grew up not going on vacations, so travel was all new to him, however, I quickly made a traveler out of him. We try to take a trip for our anniversary every June, whether we leave the country or go somewhere in the US - we just want a week together to do whatever we want. This year, we are currently in the Bahama's celebrating our 7th anniversary with another couple who are close friends of ours. My entire family also still goes to White Lake every summer. And this year, I went to Paris with my daughter for 10 days, something that doesn't happen every year but was a great experience for the two of us.

I don't get the concept of people who don't vacation. And I suppose there are people that don't get the concept of people who do vacation. I don't want to live the same life year after year after year with work being the only thing I really do. Work, come home, work, come home. I love my job, which is a blessing since I spend most of my waking hours working. However, I want to go places, see things, spend time with the people I care about. Time away from everyday life. 

Another vacation plus. I love meeting new people and going to touristy places. Some people call them Tourist Traps, but that's ok because everywhere is a Tourist Trap. Even the town I live in. Tourist Traps are good for the economy. They bring people to visit and help the people who live there make a living. When I go to these places, I love to people watch. I also love to meet the people who live and work there. I try to imagine their lives and it makes me happy when my $5+ purchase brings a smile to their face. 

On my current trip, we met a couple who are staying at our resort for a teachers conference, yet they live 20 minutes away. It was so great to hear their stories, learn about their life and get their perspective of this area, as well as the world.

Travel changes you in many ways. You learn, you grow as a person, you get new perspective, you relax, you go on new adventures that you wouldn't have had the opportunity to go on at home, you experience cultures you didn't even know existed, you bond with your family and friends who are travelling with you. The list goes on and on. 

I think the greatest benefit to me personally, is that travel teaches me to live in the moment. I'm not thinking about next week or next month. I'm only thinking about right now, at this moment.

Travel is a choice. Because you have to spend money to travel, it has to be a decision you make. A priority over other things you want to spend your money on. You have to make a choice to budget your money so that you can take trips. However, at the end of your trip, you will realize the truth in the following quote;

MW

Copyright 2016