Vacation. A time to just kick back and relax. Unfortunately, many people end up feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation post vacation lessons.
Post Vacation Lessons: Using the Highs and Lows to Plan for Next Year
Here are some of the ways that you can work to improve your experience for your next family trip.
Plan Early
Next year’s vacation is probably the last thing on your mind. However, while your last trip is fresh in your mind, get some things ironed out. All the highs, along with all the lows. Start planning your next trip early. Ask yourself: what could we do differently in order to reduce my stress load. Perhaps it’s something simple, such as:
- packing earlier
- taking less things with you
- alleviating financial concerns following your trip
Saving early will help to relieve some of the stress of wondering how you’re going to afford some much-needed time off. Wondering why you spent so much more than you expected? Go through your receipts and expenditures so you can prepare a viable plan for next year. Go through each line item that didn’t meet your expectations so you can determine what went wrong.
Reevaluate Decisions
Ever get roped into a company’s pitch offer? Listen to us, get this for free? They can leave you feeling like you need to make a purchase for your family’s continued happiness on future vacations. Once you get home, you may be reevaluating your decision to move forward with the purchase. Take time to reconsider vacation home or timeshare purchases, and if you have already gone through with one, there are timeshare exit options that are available to you.
Share Your Woes
Ask others for advice when it comes to making your vacation the best possible. You may be overlooking something that you hadn’t considered before. Another thing to remember: OVER SCHEDULING ruins trips. The whole point of being on vacation is so that you can spend quality time with your family. Be flexible so that you can accommodate those days that no one feels like doing what’s on the itinerary. It’s not a waste to spend a day on a resort or high-class location just relaxing in your hotel room or on the beach!
Schedule Post Downtime
One of the biggest mistakes that people make after a vacation is not allowing themselves enough time to get back into the routine after a big trip. Giving yourself an extra day will help you to catch up on sleep and to do those mountains of laundry. Even if you can’t take an extra day, make sure not to fly home with only hours to spare before you need to be back at work. This will have you starting off the work week on the wrong foot.
Planning and reflection are the keys to having a successful vacation. Use these tips so that you can learn how to make your next trip the best of your life.
About the Writer: Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
