11 Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Vacation

Sometimes and maybe most times, it's best to go back to the basics to gain a little perspective.  That's the case with me and the concept of a good vacation experience, because frankly, I suck at planning them.

Full disclosure here.  I make my living working in the world of vacations, so you'd think I might have a handle on this kind of thing.  And yes, the fact that I've centered my work around vacation experiences sounds like the beautiful oxymoron that it is.  I'm surrounded by crisp palm-laden images of gorgeous resorts and happy families skiing moguls or strolling white sand beaches all day.

But even with the prospect of relaxing somewhere in an inventory of over 45 resorts my employer offers, I still haven't planned one.  It's not that I don't have the time, but that I've lost the practice of treating myself to a good getaway, Away being the word I need to underline here.  And that's true for not only me.

Having access to spacious resorts means I've got it good compared to most of my friends.  For them, the concept of a family vacation has dwindled from a yearly relaxing treat to a high-pressured scramble to plan hotel accommodations in cramped spaces.  By the time they've finished coordinating days off then pouring through ratings and price comparisons, they've all but given up on the idea of taking the trip.  As a result they end up staying home, and like me, convince themselves it's ok to"just take it easy this year".

All that experience really ever does for me is to make for a very short water-cooler conversation on my first day back.  There's no embellishing the experience of cleaning out my closets or wandering for hours at the local mall.

It was while reading Stephen Wilke's post on his blog by that name that I realized the error of my ways, and that a revisit of my personal definition of vacation was in order.  Mistaking "time away" for "vacation" has become a personal habit, one I have ample opportunity to correct this year.  There's no excuse, no frenetic planning or hotel price comparisons to make.  I just need to decide to actually book it.

Sometimes a simple time off seems like a decent way to recharge, but every once in a while a true break from routine, familiarity, and especially location is the best thing I can do to get my groove back.

How many of these 11 excuses are sabotaging your idea of a great getaway?

Gorgeous Vintage Graphic from Hawaiian Days

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