Why Vacation if You’re a Stick in the Mud?

Chel Owens

I don’t get out much. Maybe you’ve noticed.

When I do escape the dishes and children and laundry, my vacation destination is …Wal-mart. Ooh! Or Costco! Frankly, I spend enough at those, and the local Smith’s Marketplace, to cover a cruise.

Bu-u-u-ut the hubs and I made a goal to family vacay every summer. Sometimes it’s been camping. Sometimes it’s a cross-country trip. Sometimes we jaunt down to California for our every-five-years-Disneyland extravaganza.

Since I began this summer on bed rest, I had to put any travel plans on hold. Since we learned I was pregnant and needed to pay for removing our sweet, little parasite; we had to put our finances on hold.

I therefore booked a quick weekend away, using some reward points from the credit card.

I therefore picked somewhere not too far away but far enough to count as ‘vacation.’

I therefore booked a really fun hotel with a water slide and planned to eat tuna sandwiches.

I therefore demanded an oath of my husband that he would not point out any practical failings, metaphorically raining on our happy parade.

Problem is, I am an analytical person. I married an analytical person. We are both fairly practical as well. And critical. And, although I’ve been riding the Jaded Coaster since about age 3, my sweet husband got on and has been uncomfortably riding for over a decade now.

We made it to the second day before fighting about how the whole thing made no financial sense and we could be doing everything we were doing if we’d simply stayed home.

Fun times.

Which has since led me to ruminating about people and their vacations. For, of course one could save money, comfort, time, and hassle by staying put. There’s no risk. No bedbugs. No missing toothbrush. No change of climate or circumstance.

I’ve wondered a few specific things:

  1. Are vacations fun?
  2. Are they worth the cost?
  3. Are they worth the work?
  4. Is a vacation a vacation?

What do you think? What has your experience been?

 

—————-

I wrote a few things this past week:
Wednesday, August 14: Shared some of my favorite funny pregnancy t-shirts in “The Funniest Pregnancy Tees.”

Thursday, August 15: Announced I’d be going off the grid for a family vacay. I haven’t really come back yet.

Friday, August 16: Winner of the Weekly Terribly Poetry Contest. Thank you so so so so so so so so so so much to Bruce for adjudicating. Congratulations to Mathew for winning!

Saturday, August 17: Announced the 39th Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest. The theme is vacations. PLEASE ENTER!

Also shared “Except for the Exceptions,” from a depressed mood during vacation.

Sunday, August 18: Nothing.

Monday, August 19: Enthused about receiving Stephen’s published book, The Kirkwood Scott Chronicles: Skelly’s Square (soon to be reviewed!).

Tuesday, August 20: “A Tick A Kick.”

Wednesday, August 21: Nothing. Tra-la-la.

Thursday, August 22: Today.

I also posted all this week at my motherhood site. I wrote “Hotel For …Fun?,” “The Best Thing You Can Give Your Child,” and “There’s Nothing to Eat.”

Photo Credits:
Image by tim striker from Pixabay
Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay
Image by KRISTEN FOSTER from Pixabay

 

©2019 Chelsea Owens

37 thoughts on “Why Vacation if You’re a Stick in the Mud?”

  3. I’m on the fence about them. One thing I hate mostly are group vacations and group dynamics. I want to be left alone on vacations and to go to museums and maybe the occasional battlefield or antique store. I don’t want to be put on a schedule, even when I’m supposed to eat with everyone else. That probably sounds strange but there it is. ☺️

    Liked by 1 person

  5. The best vacations were visiting other countries while living in England. Learning that no matter the country or culture, people are people.

    But the best of all is visiting family that lives very far away without actually sightseeing! YES!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. After 35 years of marriage I thought a marker of significance is in order: Hawaii! Bottom line? It’s not the paradise the Costco brochure promoted, but it is a memory and I’m glad I finally went and got it out of my system. The best part of vacations? Coming home. I really, really like my own bed.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I enjoy vacationing, but I don’t do it too often. I like to go to historical sites or national parks. Last year I had two short vacations – one was a weekend to Yellowstone, and one was a weekend to visit a friend in Michigan. Both times, however, I bummed off friends who lived nearby for housing, so my costs were flights or driving.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. My wife loves vacations… I on the other hand. Living in Canada for the last 50 years I have been back to England and Ireland to visit family for 30 years. In between I spent a week in Mexico vomiting ever day, four days out of 7 on the Alaskan cruise doing the same thing. We went to some Caribbean island and I contacted severe hay fever and spent it miserably. I can never sleep when I’m away and am always tired. I’m content to read a book and dream.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I have been enjoying the Summer away from the computer. Just relaxing in the sun, reading, drinking beer, taking trips to sit by a lake. I can’t believe Summer is nearly over. Starting to get back into Word Press. Thanks for asking Chelsea. Live long and prosper.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Ever since my Eldest got married we’ve taken a ‘Family Vacation’ with his in-laws and then as they arrived the grands. We don’t have much say in the planning. We just go to be social. A real vacation is when it is just me and my hubby without anyone else. When our own children were little we mostly used our vacation time to visit out of town family and well that is just a different ball of wax since the adults can never agree on what to do. Such was and is life.

    I do like to travel. But I also like returning home. To me camping is not a vacation. I want wifi, indoor plumbing and perhaps some fun places to visit. We’ve actually started playing local tourists to see some of our own surrounding sights. Can’t beat sleeping in ones own bet at night 🙂

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  13. Blach…unfortunate that a rain cloud showed up the 2nd day 😦

    I think vacations are quite nice and even necessary. My bf did point out, though, vacations would probably be much more enjoyable if we knew when the next one was. And I have to agree with that; if you don’t know when the next one is, you stress if you aren’t relaxing enough, or you stress that you aren’t doing everything you can…etc.

    As for if they’re worth the cost…depends. I think they’re 100% worth it if they involve seeing old friends.

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