I need a vacation.
How many times have you said that?
When work has become a drag…
When school has you worn down…
When family life has become monotonous…
When you’re just plain bored.
In all those situations I’ve found myself daydreaming and saying internally, I need a vacation. Get me on the next flight outta here!”
The question is – how will you respond to that little voice inside that cries I need a vacation so often?
Reactions to the I Need a Vacation Voice
Depending on your personality you may react in one of these ways:
1. The child inside.
We all have that impetuous child inside who wants things at the drop of a hat. Upon hearing the I need a vacation voice, your child persona will throw caution to the wind, immediately pack up and go without thought or care of the ramifications.
2. The worker bee inside.
The great thing about going on vacation is that you get to leave work behind. The bad thing about going on vacation is that work will be there again when you return…usually more work. Those who hate to miss work and dread the “catch-up-when-I-get-back” factor will always be hesitant to respond to the vacation voice.
3. The homebody inside.
Homebodies love the home…every aspect of it. Upon hearing the I need a vacation voice, they are likely to respond by saying, “Why do I need to go do/see/experience that? Everything I need is right here at my home?” They’ll ignore the adventure for the continued pattern of home life and the day-to-day rituals.
4. The budgeter inside.
The budgeter breaks out in a cold sweat when he or she hears I need a vacation. Their first thought isn’t about the journey it’s about the money. If they end up going, there will be no spontaneity on the trip – every expense will have been allocated in advance with no room for deviation.
5. The spender inside.
The foil to the budgeter, the spender cares so much less about the money. They will set a budget for the trip but they see vacations as a way to satisfy their spending urge. They’ll make sure to have extra money on the trip for things that “just come up.”
6. The thrill-seeker inside.
The thrill-seeker inside responds really well to the I need a vacation voice. They won’t be as impulsive as the child inside persona because they’ll want to make sure they have the right type of adventure, not just any old venture to the same old places (i.e. the beach, amusement parks). They’ll look for things off the beaten path and that give them a emotional rush. One way or another though the vacation will happen…it must to satisfy their spirit.
7. The saver inside.
Upon hearing the voice the saver inside will set a goal and begin to plan…and wait…and save…and plan…and wait…and save. They’ll be deliberate but driven as they dream of what that vacation will be like. When the time comes, they’ll enjoy it more than anyone else because they reached their goal to pay for it in cash.
8. The procrastinator inside.
The procrastinator inside can react in one of two ways to the I need a vacation voice. Either they will deflect it into the future by saying “Maybe someday I’ll go.” Or they’ll choose to go but won’t begin planning until the night before.
9. The hater inside.
Haters gonna hate…even vacations. They hate planning. They hate the travel. They hate lines of people, fast food, and overpriced attractions. They hate hotels, kid’s bickering in the backseat and boarding the family pet for a week. Good luck if you can get one to go…you’ll need the patience of Job to deal with their attitude.
10. The vacationer inside.
The vacationer inside gets it. They love to hear the I need a vacation voice because they know how to properly respond to it…with a “Yes!” They understand there is a reason your mind and body is bringing this thought to your attention…they are both longing for some downtime. The vacationer knows the many benefits that come from travel, even if it’s just for short day trips or weekends. They are mentally prepared for the hassles of vacation that often present twists and turns that require flexibility. They are willing to spend the money and endure all that for the chance to get away and be refreshed.
Where do you find yourself on this list? Summer is upon us so more than likely the voice will come calling soon. I hope you can answer it in a positive and responsible way because we all need a vacation at some point.
Oh incidentally…this will be my only post for the week because my wife and I are a combination of personalities 5, 7 and 10. I’m out…See you next Monday!
Questions: How do you typically respond when the vacation bug comes calling? Do you have more than one inside personality that responds to the I need a vacation voice? What do you hate/love about vacations? Do you have any vacations planned for the summer? Where to?
We budget for ours, as well as use rewards, to go on trips now so we can do it relatively guilt free. Our biggest challenge, well mine really, is allowing myself to unplug while on a vacation. That usually requires me giving my phone to my wife and only getting it once a day at most.
I think using an alternative airport can be a great way to save some money, especially if you’re going to a city that has quite a few airports. Another good one is to book your flights between Tuesday – Thursday as that is generally when they’re the cheapest to buy.
Making new friends is really interesting. This world is full of friendly peoples. We make friends hang out, spend quality time, and help each other. In that case, if you travel you can make lots of friends and because of social media and digital communication systems, you will be able to stay connected with them.
This is really true. You wouldn’t think a friendship could develop when on vacation but they can. Years ago my wife and I met a couple on a cruise and have stayed in touch with them on social media ever since.
Oooh, most definitely the spender in me comes out. Wait… wait… wait. We’re paying off the mortgage and then we’ll take a vacation. Might sound harsh, but we’re more than happy to wait knowing the payoff that’s coming. To keep the vacation voice satisfied we try to take a weekend trip with the kids to a nearby town and hotel once a year, and a yearly 2 night getaway for the hubby and I where we sit in a hotel, eat room service, talk about our goals, and surf the net sans needy cherubs. Happy vacationing! Hope you can detach from work and enjoy yourself.
Love this post! I have been saying “I need a vacation” lately, but alas I won’t be taking one anytime soon. Perhaps just a day off from the norm will do the trick for now…
“Perhaps just a day off…” Nothing wrong with that. I’ve found it amazing what even one day can do to recharge your batteries.
I don’t hear that voice. LOL. I love my daily routine, and taking me out of it causes me internal strife. My wife on the other hand seems to hear it all the time….
“…taking me out of it causes me internal strife.” I don’t think you are alone in that. I’ve had to learn how to disengage and let go of the day-to-day routine.
This was such a fun read! I feel like I go through most of these voices when thinking about taking some time off for vacation. And by vacation, I mean going back home. Most of my friends and family are back in Asia, so it’s a lot more costly + will take longer time to make the trip. So it’s like having the homebody be the dominant voice, but it has to be the home I have to travel 7000 miles across the world, lol.
Boy that would be a trip! 🙂 I’d love to see Asia sometime.
I’m a combo of 6, 7 and 10. I love vacations and one of the first things we each year is sit down and plan our travels for the year. This way we can ensure we save enough to fund our travel, block the time on our calendars and have something to look forward too when I get those “I need a vacation” urges. Knowing I have one planned helps get through whatever has me ready to pack my bags and hit the airport. 🙂 Have a great vacation!
We plan our vacations early in the year so my wife has something to look forward to that helps her get through tax season. 🙂
#10 for me! The vacationer in me is always down for a nice, deserved break!
My typical response these days is usually #10, though I used to be guilty of others in the past…mainly the just going on vacation because I could though it was all financed with plastic. We budget for ours, as well as use rewards, to go on trips now so we can do it relatively guilt free. Our biggest challenge, well mine really, is allowing myself to unplug while on a vacation. That usually requires me giving my phone to my wife and only getting it once a day at most. Have a great trip Brian!
“…unplug while on a vacation…” That really is a challenge. The advances in technology have contributed to that in my opinion. It’s funny how we think the world can’t get along without us for a week. Even though I’m commenting now we are in a location where cell and internet capabilities are limited…it’s been nice to not feel so tethered to the phone.
I typically know what vacations I’m taking for the entire year and have that expectation set – and not more. That’s basically the key to killing any vacation bug I might get. haha.
We do that too Natalie. We start planning in January for the year and then stick to what we planned. Rarely do we do spur of the moment trips.
Well, sometimes I’m a spender, budgeter, but mostly homebody inside. 🙂 I just came from a vacation with my daughter and my younger sister and I totally loved it!
I get impulsive, and follow up with being a hater, because the budgeter inside me scolds the saver for not saving, but letting my procrastinator be in charge up to the day the impulse side overrides everybody else. Once I’m on my way my vacationer tells my spender to let the child run free, and seek a few thrills while I’m at it. When I get home, my homebody wishes I would have stayed home, because my budget is ruined for a month or two catching up. Is this multiple personality disorder? lol
Sometimes My saver gets a little credit when my impulse decides to give a month or so notice…that takes SOME of the hit.
I know we all need a break, and I think planning some time away is a great way to do it. I personally don’t like big trips, because I need time off when I get done with them. I just traded stress of day-to-day life with stress of a trip. lol I want to just go somewhere, and unplug.
Haha Michael…that’s a lot of voices talking to you at once. That’s gotta be tough to sort out. 🙂
I love that when I take a vacation, I literally allow myself to check out from work and solely focus on those that I love and I know that I need to do that more than just during vacation times. However, I really hate sleeping in a bed that’s not my own. No matter how nice a place we stay for vacation, I never seem to sleep well because their is just nothing more comfortable than my own bed, at least in my mind.
I agree totally about the sleeping Shannon. Nothing is as good as your own bed. We have a Select Comfort at home so nothing is as comfortable as that for me. And as far as checking out from work I agree with that as well, even though I’m checking in to this blog post for a few minutes today. 🙂
This voice inside me comes out when I feel I need some form of encouragement or I deserve a vacation. But, it rarely comes out because I make sure I have enough savings to cover this type of expenses.
Enjoy your vacation! I always look forward to vacation, extended time with the family. If planning and budgeted properly there no need to worry at all.
“If…budgeted properly…” That’s the key Brian. It’s so easy to go overboard on vacation spending. Gotta be wise and not get caught up in the excitement of being away from home.