Help!! I Need a Vacation!

We, as a nation, seem to be over stressed, over achievers, forever and continually connected to jobs and family by our electronic leashes (cell phones!). When we are not on the phone, we are texting, checking email, facebooking, and trying to get more done than ever before in less time. We have lost our "off" buttons and are in sad need of at least locating our "reset" buttons again! What's for dinner? What time does the store close? Can I make it to the bank before it closes? I need an oil change but I have to take kids to soccer practice. You get the picture! There is no DOWN time anymore. Good news is in short supply and bad news spreads like wildfire.

We all need a vacation, from work, from school, or just to break our daily routine and get out of a rut. How we take the vacation depends on so many different factors.
For some, a vacation is going to see family. For others, a vacation is staying home and catching up on housework, for still others, a vacation might be going camping.

When you call me or come in to see me and tell me you need a vacation it can mean so many different things. Maybe all you need is a plane ticket and a car rental because you are going to see family.

You may not even talk to me, because it's a road trip or because it's a road trip with camping involved.

Consider this. If you call or you come in and talk, we may be able to discover what a vacation really means for you.

I tend to be an over achiever when it comes to road trips. If I get as far as Santa Fe, New Mexico, I really think we should go on up to Durango, CO, because, after all, it's just a little farther. And you know where it goes from there! As long as we're all the way up in Durango we really should go over to Telluride because it's not THAT far away. I have to force myself to spend time in some of these places and use them as a base to see local attractions. However, once I have made the commitment to the idea that you really can't see EVERYTHING in one road trip, I dedicate myself to seeing as much as possible in a given area...sometimes to my husband's despair! Vacation means GO to me. See as much as you can, do as much as you can.

On trips for travel agents, FAM trips, we are expected to be ready and waiting at a given hour to go to breakfast; go horseback riding, get on the catamaran, go to dinner, go for drinks...whatever is on the program. There really is no time to sleep late or skip an excursion or dinner. Activities are mandatory. I have never had a problem with that. We are being shown things that may appeal to our clients and I welcome the opportunity to try various activities...while drawing a firm line at parasailing and zip lines!

People are all different. It takes me several days to unwind from work and actually relax. Three nights in Cabo with my husband is not enough, because on the third day I am just really starting to relax. When I have people ask for four nights in Hawaii or two nights in Cabo I try and tell them they should consider the time on the flight to the destination and the flight home. Flights are no longer relaxing experiences. Honestly, the flight to the destination is no longer part of the vacation, it is now work! Get ready, pack appropriately for TSA inspection, keep moving, take off your shoes, take off your belt, stand in line, wait...move...wait again. Find your seat, wait for instructions. Hungry? Want a meal?...too bad, it'll cost ya!...and it WON'T be good unless you happen to be sitting in first class!

With all of the work of getting to the airport, getting on the flight, the flight itself, and getting from the destination airport to the hotel, how can we feel like we've had a vacation if we are only there for two nights and then have to pack up and do the whole routine again in reverse?

Try and determine, with or without my help, what kind of a vacation would really help you de-stress and relax. If you need more time to relax, let's pick somewhere you can get to on a shorter flight. Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, Seattle, all are destinations that are around two hour flights, San Francisco being only an hour.

If your budget won't permit going to Cabo for 5 nights, consider going to San Francisco for 4 nights. Or perhaps you could go to San Luis Obispo for 5 nights. Remember that California is a beautiful state with lots of things to explore. Lone Pine, Independence, Bishop and Mammoth can all keep you busy for a week...just ask me what you need to see! They are 3 to 6 hrs. away and there are more hotels, motels and condos that are nice but low cost than you will find in beach cities. You actually CAN make a 5-6 night vacation fit a small budget.

The same holds true for a 3 to 4 night cruise. If you go off season, which means not peak summer travel, you can have a small cruise for a small price.

The most relaxing vacation I have ever taken was on a river cruise in France. We sailed from Paris to Normandy and back with Uniworld. Avalon River Cruises and Viking River Cruises, to name two others, offer similar itineraries. The advantage? We only unpacked once...the sales pitch for ALL cruises! The bigger advantage? All shore excursions are included in the price of the cruise and if you don't feel like taking a particular shore excursion, there is no pressure. You can walk into town on your own and really relax instead. River cruises tend to tie up in towns, not far from the center of town like ocean going vessels do. One day on our cruise we were really tired. We had breakfast, went back to the cabin and took a long, mid-morning nap, and THEN we walked into town and explored on our own. We could be with people on the cruise, or get lost and go off on our own...it was totally OUR choice. River cruises do not have casinos on board, or big entertainment productions, or a large spa. They have excellent food, well prepared and with much variety, interesting speakers telling you what excursions are being offered the next day, and very little glitz.

If you LOVE glitz, go for the large, blue water cruise ships. Very often a good buy if you go slightly off season. Due to all of the major cruise lines continuing to build ever larger and more spectacular ships, there are also some spectacular deals out there.

For honeymooners, and for just about everyone else as well, I like all inclusive resorts. Again, do you REALLY want a lot of stress about how and where to dine on your vacation? All inclusive resorts offer all of your meals, snacks, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), gratuities, non-motorized water sports, and entertainment...all for one price! Pick a destination, pick a budget, we find the perfect place, you pay me, I pay the packager, and WE'RE DONE! You just go and have a great time! No worries about where to eat, what to drink, who to tip...it's all DONE!

For all inclusive resorts, I recommend several islands in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica. NO all inclusive resorts in Hawaii, but there IS a very beautiful all inclusive resort in Florida, Club Med's Sandpiper.

Call me or come in and talk to me. Tell me what would help you relax and revive. We will find something that meets both your expectations AND your budget.

Until next time,
Sonia
P.S. Please check out Kiva.org