Successful vacations, in many ways, are similar to successful holiday experiences. As we enter into 2016’s holiday season, we encourage you to take the time to think about what types of experiences you would like to have this year.
This week’s blog by WWR member, Linda Norris-Waldt gives you her take on 5 different ways to have a successful vacation. You just might be able to use some of these ideas to enhance your holiday experiences. Enjoy!
I’ve been vacationing for more than 50 years–both the kinds of vacations where I was “taken along” as a child, and many, many vacations that I have planned as an adult. Like major family holidays, vacations can carry lots of baggage with them–both literally and figuratively. The expectations we have of them are often unrealistic; the disappointment we feel when a vacation doesn’t “relax us” can leave us feeling deflated and even with a curious sense of wasted money and time.
I’ve let that happen to myself too many times, and on a recent trip away–where things didn’t turn out the way we had hoped with incessant rain at the beach, in my middle-aged wisdom I made a conscious decision to turn the tables on disappointment. What I got was a rest–which was just what I needed. After all, vacation is, from the Latin “freedom from occupation”.
Take a look at these vacation models and see if your next vacation fits. But wait till it’s over–you never know what’s in store for you if you keep an open mind!
A Change of Mindset. This kind of vacation can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but the underlying theme is, put aside the YOU who left home and, almost like an alter ego, embrace new things. (Remember the Seinfeld episode in which George does the complete opposite of normal?) Foods, sites, adventures, people, culture and countries….these are all options that help you delve into your deepest self and notice whether you’ve been missing an element of who you are. Warning: this type of vacation is hard to do from the comfort of home!
Release of Expectations. After all these years of vacationing, I finally experienced this kind of true peace only recently. We were expecting sun-drenched fall days on a sandy warm beach only to be drenched by days of rain. Maybe you were expecting a certain port of call that was, well, called off. There are many ways that we trap ourselves by idealizing a vacation. Without creatively embracing the new vision, we miss opportunities for a different kind of refreshment. For us, three days of heavy rains turn into sighting of shorebirds unknown to those parts who were blown in by the storm, and a bike trip during a few-hours break from the rain on a windswept, magical storm-tossed marshland park.
A Feast of People. We’ve all had those vacations; the beachhouse bacchanalias of our youth, or the big extended family trips with cousins in every square foot of sleep space. Or, a cruise filled with meeting new people, or a group destination tour. These experiences can be cherished for not only a chance of better knowing the people dear to you, but of sifting through varying human natures to learn more about yourself. (This attitude can be especially helpful when putting a group of people together causes conflicts that must be endured, at least until the vacation ends!) You can come away from a vacation like this with a completely different outlook on your life, your work, and the people you love.
A Solo Journey. Most of us don’t make many of these, but everyone should be tuned in to the need at some point in your life when you’re ready. You can make it an organized retreat with structured meditation, hiking or activities with people you don’t know, or simply create your favorite solo experience, camping, a hotel or B& B, or a house-sitting for a friend. These solo trips can be disconcerting for those of us used to always having people around, but once you tune into yourself, you will want to have paper, journals, computer, paint brush or paints–whatever is the best way to express yourself. Once you settle into solitude, your inner self will be itching to come out.
Stay Put and Rest. There are times your body tells you its simply needs to BE. These vacations can be helpful for recovering from family crises, work overload, health issues — there are many reasons we need to learn to be still. Do not be tempted to do things for the sake of “being on vacation” when your soul tells you, it needs to be quiet. Walk quietly, sleep, read, meditate. It will refresh you in ways you never dreamed.
Today’s guest blogger, Linda Norris-Waldt is a writer, journalist and sustainability advocate who is a committed member of the Wholistic Woman community and a believer in self reflection and life coaching. Her business is NW Communications.