DAY 4 - DREAMING OF VACATION

I hope you’re following along as we countdown the final 100 days of 2022 - you can join us anytime. Learn more about the program HERE.

This article was originally posted on my oldest daughter’s blog at campfiretravelers.com I invite you to browse her site for inspiration for your next camping or RV vacation.

Quite possibly the most iconic job benefit around is the vacation day. These hours, days, and weeks are earned based on years of work history or job title. Some of us use them for doctor’s appointments and our children’s school events; others take that singular trip of a lifetime, and more still, save them for the ubiquitous rainy day. The amount of vacation days that go unused in America is so overwhelming that the U.S. Travel Association has created the marketing campaigns, National Plan for Vacation Day and Let’s Go There, to encourage us to actually use these days instead of letting them go to waste.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, the numbers were staggering in 2020; Americans left more than 33% of their paid time off on the table. That’s about five days of earned vacation time per American wasted. Even though six in ten of us feel we desperately need a vacation.

The good news is that the statistics show that when vacations are planned ahead of time, we are more likely to use up our days off for vacations instead of the other stuff. Not to mention those who plan vacations ahead of time are 97% more likely to be happier overall while anticipating their travel and having more fun while on the trip itself.

So how can you make these vacation days a reality, hit the road, and get the most out of them? The key is having a plan.

First, grab your calendar, paper is best, and start by batch planning your vacations. Batch planning allows you to focus on a single time frame – whether this is three months, six months, or the entire year at one time. Next, mark down all the days to remember, like weddings, birthdays, school events, sports schedules, etc. Then decide when traveling works best for you. Do you prefer a week-long vacation twice a year? Or would you rather plan five long weekends away? Most families gravitate to the summer season for vacation; however, I encourage you not to discount the shoulder seasons.

If you’re working with your kid’s school schedule, look for those random days off, this is especially nice when you’re hoping to avoid crowds. For example, my kids’ school always has an in-service day on the last Friday of September. This is perfect fall weather, and we love spending time in the mountains while taking advantage of scenic drives and hikes to enjoy the fall foliage. We leave on Thursday right after school and come home Sunday afternoon. That’s only one, maybe one and a half days of vacation time taken off of work for a relaxing extended weekend away from home.

Next, think outside the box and make your vacation days work for you by making the most of each day. By now, every well-seasoned employee knows to use weekends as bookends for a longer time off. Five days of vacation time magically becomes nine days away from the office. But what about making the three-day summer holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day turn into five by using only two vacation days as bookends? That’s ten days off for the price of four! If a holiday falls on a weekend, ask your employer if you’ll be receiving a floating holiday and use that to your advantage as well.

Now it’s time to set your sights on which destinations you and your family want to experience. Beach, mountains, desert, the lake? Why not each one? Find a comfortable driving or flying radius from your home and see what’s around. Don’t be afraid to plan a destination that doesn’t revolve around big activities; these times of relaxing around a quaint town or sleepy seashore are great ways to reconnect with family and friends. Also, consider going somewhere you’ve never been. It is refreshing for the brain and a great way to feel rejuvenated. But if you want to plan a big trip, it’s the perfect time to pull out that bucket list.

For big trips, it’s a good idea to find a centralized hotel (or vacation rental) and explore from there for a week instead of moving around. For example, when we decided to go to Glacier National Park, we stayed in West Glacier, MT. We looked around for equally beautiful places to sightsee – exploring Kalispell, a picnic at Flathead Lake, fly fishing the Middle Fork Flathead River, a day trip to Missoula, plus two days of scenic driving and hiking in the national park. Pinterest is a great next step for digging deeper when looking for advice on what to do at your destination. Checking out travel books at your library is my favorite trip-planning resource.

Once you’ve requested the days off from work, make your reservations as early as possible and plan any excursions well ahead of time. Booking now ensures less stress and headaches later. Don’t forget to ask the kids or grandkids for ideas of what they want to do on vacation - kids love being a part of the planning process.

Finally, I encourage everyone to travel more simply and focus on the things that matter. Do not over-plan your time. Travel easier and cherish your vacation days. And make the most of each of them with those you cherish.

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