and how to avoid them
Your passport is up to date, your bags are packed, and you’re all set for leaving on a jet plane. Nothing can stop you from the uninterrupted bliss of vacation.
Oops! Sorry. That’s not true. To make it a little closer to true, here are five things that can sneak up on you and steal all the fun, and ways to avoid them.
1. Not Checking the Weather
This may seem obvious. Let me go a little deeper. Don’t assume that the desert is hot, that Alaska is cold, or that the rain forest is wet… Actually, wait, that last one may be true, but you should probably still double check before you go.
Of course we all have an idea of the seasonal trends for where we’re going, but you also need to stay on top of real time weather when it’s time to pack. I packed a suitcase for a trip to Niagara, only four hours north. While I was packing, it was 90 degrees at home, and I knew that where we were heading tends to run about ten degrees cooler. I packed bags full of shorts and t-shirts… and arrived in 40 degree weather! Brrr!! We were miserable! It’s tough to take in the sights when you are shaking from your bone marrow out.
Luckily, we found a thrift shop near our hotel and purchased a weekend’s worth of necessities for the entire family for about $20. How’s that for a bonus tip! If you don’t listen to my tip on checking the weather, remember to look for a thrift shop!
The weather can’t ruin your trip (ok, with some obvious exceptions…). Not being prepared for it can.
2. Going Above Budget
But it’s vacation! I know. I get it. And that’s all the more reason you don’t want it to be stressful. Discuss in advance with your travel partner(s) what you’re comfortable spending. A massage isn’t actually all that relaxing if the whole time you’re wondering how you’re going to pay for it. If you need help in planning within budget, check this out. Going above budget can stress you out in the moment, lead to arguments with your spouse or travel partner, and make it harder for you to plan future vacations. Just don’t do it.
3. Under Planning
We are free spirits. We go with the wind. We wander where life leads us…
Cool, but now we’re dragging kids along. No longer can you just sleep in the car/park/train station if you don’t find a hotel room. You need to have the basics ironed out in advance. You don’t have to plan where you’re going to eat, but you do need to know if where you’re going has restaurants or if you need to pack a lunch. You don’t have to reserve your room, but you do need to know that where you’re going has rooms available. The only thing that can ruin a vacation day faster than hangry kids is hangry and tired kids!
I highlight a map with where we intend to stay each night and the general path we intend to take, so that I know what’s along the way. If we’re going during peak season, I’ll book most of our hotels in advance. If you have a famous restaurant you’re including in your itinerary, you’ll want to book that in advance, too. Don’t travel 6,000 miles and expect all the stars to align just for you.
(Psst! You can get more planning tips here!)
4. Over Planning
This does not go against number 3, no matter how it looks.
While kids up the ante on how much prep is needed, they also throw in about a million new variables – per second. If you map each day by the minute, a long nap, temper tantrum, or blow out diaper can make you miss plans. Be flexible. Leave extra time for activities. Have a Plan B. Prioritize your schedule based on what you really want to see, and what you’d just like to see. If you’re constantly worrying about making it to your next destination in time, you won’t be able to live in the moment and fully enjoy the things you experience… or the people you experience them with.
5. Unrealistic Expectations
What is it you expect? Have you thought about it?
I have an ideal of “vacation” in my mind. I sleep in as late as I want. I eat breakfast in bed. I spend my day hiking, exploring, meandering through gardens and museums, and trying new restaurants. I take a long bath and snuggle up under fluffy blankets, ready to fall asleep after a full day.
I’m not trying to be dismal, I love my vacations (or we wouldn’t travel so much!), but this is not what they look like.
Reality? I’m up at 5:30, because that’s what kids do. I stumble down to a breakfast buffet with hangry kids who will all be on seconds before I can get my first cup of coffee. We still explore, but with lots of snack breaks, nap breaks, and sometimes meltdowns in between (and that’s just for me). We eat a packed lunch or somewhere that serves mac and cheese. I take a quiet shower after putting the kids down, and then squeeze in between them because they’re all in my bed.
We discover new things, we play hard, we snuggle all night, we spend every moment of our days together. We have a beautiful time; but, it is nothing like the ideal in my head. Just remember who you’re traveling with… and the fact that they’re more important than anything you’re going to see (I’m pretty sure the same rule applies in couples’ travel…).