Re:Why Americans cannot enjoy holidays
by jasonkester on Monday August 23, 2010 @03:22AM
(#1626113)
That's a good start, but you've got a couple steps there that can cause problems. Here's my list:
- a start date
- a starting location
- a vague idea of what you can do there
As you said, having concrete plans can mess things up, but I find that having even a single date on the calendar is just too much of a constraint. Once you hit the ground, you just don't know how long anything is going to take. If you're due in a specific place at a specific time, you'll find yourself compromising, rushing, and skipping things even if that date is two months away.
Friends are nice to have along, but you need to plan your trip with the assumption that they won't come. Because they wont. And if you're waiting to book your flight until they decide on a good excuse, you could end up not going either.
-A start date
-A end date
-A location/destination
-One or more good friends/family
-A vague idea of what we'd like to do
Any time a vacation is actually planned beyond what flight or road to take and perhaps where to sleep, for me no fun is had at all. You spend all your time stressing trying to meet deadlines and worrying about what comes next, instead of living in the moment, which is what a vacation is all about.
I figure you know your vacation was done right when you wake up the last morning and think, "man, I don't want to leave"