VACATION 101: Optimizing Your Travel Plans So You Can Actually Relax

Me being "outdoorsy" during one of our Saturday morning bike rides. Image Credit: Author

"Vacation all I ever wanted, vacation had to get away..."

Vacations are awesome; who doesn't love a bit of time off and a change of scenery?

Sometimes, the best reason to leave home is so you can come back and see your surroundings with fresh eyes and a renewed appreciation for all you have.

But, before you take off on some fantastic adventure, ask yourself why you're leaving.

What do I mean by that?

Before booking a holiday, ask yourself what you need from your holiday:

• Do you need to rest and recuperate?
• Do you need adventure and challenge?
• Do you want to explore and discover?

Why am I asking you to ask yourself these questions?

Because my fiancé (LB) and I recently went on vacation and we failed to check our expectations around what we needed out of the time away. As a result, we "over-committed and under-delivered" on our summer holiday.

Here are the key things we failed to do before booking our holiday; things which you can apply to your own vacation planning process.

Assess What Our Energy Levels Might Be at That Moment in Time

LB and I moved in together in the spring.

The move was stressful, what with unpacking and trying to figure out how the old things would fit into this new space, as well buying and installing things we needed (dishwasher, ceiling fan, etc.).

Home became a construction zone of sorts, with boxes littering all available spaces.

(The boxes, they stared at me, and every time I sat down to rest they said "Hey gurrrl, whatcha doin' over there, huh? Why aren't you over here unpacking us?" Yes, it IS hard to rest when cardboard boxes start talking to you.)

Add to that the fact that we were both adjusting to cohabitation after having lived solo for a LONG time (10 years for him, 7 years for me.)

Oh, and we both work.

So it was stressful and it was exhausting.

Meaning what we would have needed out of our vacation was some good, old-fashioned R&R - Rest and Relaxation.

Instead, we booked our first week of holidays near a provincial park here in Ontario, and planned physical activities like hiking and canoeing. For our second week, we were driving to Vermont for more hiking, and some food shopping (Because I'm obsessed with Trader Joe's and we don't have this holy land of treats and yums in Canada.)

(PS - When I say hiking, I mean the kind of hiking that's so steep and rocky it requires poles. Aka - not rest and relaxation.)

VACATION 101: The reality is that your energy levels will fluctuate throughout the year.

Ask yourself what your energy levels might be during the time of year you're planning to take your holidays. Then choose the type of destination that suits best so you can either rest, adventure or explore.

Me, holding my poles. So excited to climb this mountain! Image Credit: Author

Ask Ourselves - Based on Our Energy Levels - What Activities We Wanted to Do

We should have thought a little bit more about what we would have the energy to do after all that moving.

We assumed we'd be settled in by then, over two months after the move date. But things do have the tendency to take longer than anticipated, don't they? Especially when there are as many moving parts as blending two lives into a new space.

The first day of our first week's vacation we didn't manage to do more than arrive at our Airbnb and unpack. (Actually, we attempted a walk - just a walk mind you, not a hike - but five minutes into it we sat down on the nearest bench, looked at each other, and decided to pack it in.)

The second day we managed a canoe ride in the morning, but then spent the rest of the day in bed watching Netflix. (It was raining out that afternoon, so we didn't feel too bad about that.)

The first day of our second week's vacation, LB spent most of the day sleeping after the long trip, and I spent it lying on the deck reading.

We still managed to do some activities, but we certainly didn't manage nearly as much as we would have had we been well rested.

VACATION 101: Based on the type of destination you've chosen - rest, adventure or explore - choose corresponding activities.

If you're resting, what do those activities look like? Lying on the deck of a cottage reading? Sitting in a quaint local cafe sipping a frothy cappuccino and people watching?

If you're adventuring, are you climbing a mountain, swimming in a pool or the ocean, sailing down a lake or river, zip-lining over tree-tops, etc?

If you're exploring, are you visiting museums, art galleries, ancient tombs? Or are you exploring restaurants, shops, and artisanal bakeries (<-- that's totally me!)

Me swatting flies during our canoe ride. Image Credit: Author

Ask Ourselves How Far and How Long We Were Willing to Travel

We sort of did this.

I made it very clear to LB when we were planning our vacation that I didn't want to fly anywhere.

Aside from the current cost of plane travel, I'm no longer keen on airports, suitcases, long security lines, etc.

I've done a lot of traveling in my life, and most recently - in my last job - I worked as a conference and events manager. (Pre-COVID.) During my last 6-months, I was on a plane every month. Berlin, Chicago, Calgary, San Diego, Toronto, etc. 

(I know it sounds exciting, but trust me, it gets old. I once spent 10-hours in the Berlin airport pushing around a trolley with both of my very large suitcases because my flight had been delayed but the airline refused to check them more than 2-hours before the flight. That meant I couldn't leave the airport. Add to that the fact that the doors to the washroom were so narrow my suitcases didn't fit through them, so every time I had to pee in that 10-hour period, I had to leave my suitcases outside the washroom, un-attended - gasp. But I digress...)

We thought that by driving everywhere, and ensuring we didn't go more than 4-hours from home, we would save ourselves the hassle of a long and exhausting trip.

But on our way to Vermont, we made the mistake of trying to cross the border on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently this was a huge mistake.

A lot of the land border-crossings between the United States and Canada run through podunk towns (blink and you'll miss it!) which means there's only one gate and one attendant for all of the traffic in both directions.

The first crossing we went to was one such spot, and there were what appeared to be close to 100 cars in front of us; we couldn't even see the gate. (Yay weekend travel!)

At one point, we inched past a stretch of residential road where we saw a man weeding his lawn. I overheard him telling a lady (who'd gotten out of the car to stretch her legs) that the gate closed at 4:00 PM, regardless of any line-ups.

It was 2:00 PM at that point, and we'd been waiting for nearly an hour already and had made as much progress as a snail gumming its way forward on a leaf of lettuce.

I turned to LB and said "We need to get to a different border crossing, one where, even if we have to wait a ridiculously long time, we'll actually get through."

So that's what we did. We drove another half-an-hour to a crossing that was open 24-hours and had four gates.

We still waited for nearly two hours, which means what was supposed to be a four-hour drive turned into nearly eight hours in the car. The very HOT car; it was 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) outside.

VACATION 101: Regardless of where you're going, do what you can to anticipate other circumstances, like what days of the week and what times of the day are busiest for whatever kind of travel you're planning.

I think it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that off-peak is always best.

Take Into Account the Season and Weather in Relation to Desired Activities

LB and I love to hike and do outdoorsy stuff. I love the trees and feel very at home in the forest, or by the water. (In the water is better though - I love to swim!)

So a vacation with lots of hiking is perfect for nature lovers right?

Just lovin' me some nature. Image Credit: Author

Umm...yes and no?

Hiking in the spring or fall is lovely; the air is fresh and cool with a light breeze. The sun might be out, but it's only peeking through the clouds, ever so gently.

Hiking in summer is an entirely different beast.

There is no breeze. The air is heavy, often humid.

The mosquitoes are out in full force, and if you catch summer at just the right moment, you'll encounter the black flies who I'm convinced travel with very tiny knives and forks as they cut chunks of flesh out of any living creature who dares stand still for more than a second.

Also, it's blazing hot - the sun isn't gently caressing you, it's torching you - but because of the insects, you have to wear long sleeves and long pants. Which are coated - I mean coated - in bug spray.

So you (read: me & LB) start to sweat and, the sweat soaks into your clothes and mixes with the bug spray, and you stink and feel sticky and gross and the flies, OH MY GAWD the FLIES, and basically it's like the third realm of HELL.

VACATION 101: Remember that just because you enjoy doing a particular activity during one season, doesn't mean you'll feel the same when the weather changes.

Optimize your vacation by booking it during the best weather conditions for your desired activities.

Me, in a natural pool after the hike from hell. It was almost worth it. Image Credit: Author

Think about the Amenities We Needed in Each Location

LB and I like to stay at Airbnbs' instead of hotels because we don't love eating out. Staying at an Airbnb means that we can cook most of our meals, thereby saving money. (And our stomachs!)

The Airbnb we stayed at the first week had a well equipped kitchen. Pots, pans, cutlery, etc. Everything you would expect to find in a kitchen that one wants to actually use.

We also like to watch a little TV before bed, and were able to comfortably do that because the master bedroom (with a king-sized bed) had a wall-mounted screen.

It was a comfortable, very nicely furnished place and we were able to relax there.

But during our second week, the Airbnb had a very sparse kitchen - like, there were only three forks, and no dinner plates. LB and I had to eat off of serving platters. (I mean, seriously?)

There also wasn't a comfy place to watch TV; we ended up unfolding the (lumpy) pull-out couch in the living room.

(Also the ad had said the bed was a queen, but it was actually a double...liar, liar...)

VACATION 101: Planning a good vacation means knowing your habits and optimizing for them.

Yes, you might deviate from those habits, but if you don't, will the place you're staying in suit your needs?

Me. After the hike, we did go out for a nice meal. (Because three forks...) Image Credit: Author

Final Thoughts

Optimizing your travel plans so you can actually relax while on vacation is necessary; sitting down and really thinking things through is a must.

You might think that's an exaggeration, or chalk this up to a 'first world problem' - "Ooh, what should I do with my time off?!"

But if you live in the first world, it's a legitimate concern because many of us are busy and over-scheduled. When we do finally have the opportunity for time off to disconnect, thinking about what we need in order to re-charge is necessary.

Not to mention that if you're working in the first-world, chances are you only have 2-3 weeks of vacation time per year, if you're lucky. (At least here in North America; in Europe those lucky folks get up to seven weeks off of paid vacation!) Making the absolute most of that time is essential.

Sitting down to ask yourself what you need and what you have the time and energy for should be a standard part of vacation planning so you can truly enjoy your time off.

Me, just chillin'. Image Credit: Author

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You might be asking yourself "How does this topic relate to recovery from binge-eating?" What I found is that - for me - finding new ways of thinking about life and its challenges helped me to stop stress-eating, and has been a very big part of my ability to stop binge-eating.

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