How do you stay present and make the most of a short vacation?

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure if it’s just me but I always have fond memories of places that had really good food. Doesn’t need to be pricy, just good.
Also if there is an activity that’s new and enjoyable.

For Hawaii, if you’re going to Waikiki beach, my son loved Steak Shack - a place you walk up to on the beach and order a steak with rice and salad. We went a few times.
We also went to the Baskin Robbins that Obama worked at. We took a city bus to get there but I think cycling would have been fun.
And then we tried SUP for the first time in the Hilton pool…I liked it so much I decided to take it up when I returned home.

I don’t remember anything else but both my DS and I have fond memories of that trip and it’s on my list to return one day.

I think you have the right idea with just one activity a day and lounge around, try not to rush from place to place. Catch some sunsets and sunrises. Eat well. Enjoy your time together as a family. Put away your phones and don’t look at your watches. Just try to be in the moment, whatever you’re doing - really listen to the waves, the music, really savour the tastes, the warmth of the sun, really listen to what your kids are saying, pay attention to what they’re doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if it’s just me but I always have fond memories of places that had really good food. Doesn’t need to be pricy, just good.
Also if there is an activity that’s new and enjoyable.

For Hawaii, if you’re going to Waikiki beach, my son loved Steak Shack - a place you walk up to on the beach and order a steak with rice and salad. We went a few times.
We also went to the Baskin Robbins that Obama worked at. We took a city bus to get there but I think cycling would have been fun.
And then we tried SUP for the first time in the Hilton pool…I liked it so much I decided to take it up when I returned home.

I don’t remember anything else but both my DS and I have fond memories of that trip and it’s on my list to return one day.

I think you have the right idea with just one activity a day and lounge around, try not to rush from place to place. Catch some sunsets and sunrises. Eat well. Enjoy your time together as a family. Put away your phones and don’t look at your watches. Just try to be in the moment, whatever you’re doing - really listen to the waves, the music, really savour the tastes, the warmth of the sun, really listen to what your kids are saying, pay attention to what they’re doing.

Thanks for this post! It was so immersive I felt like I was there for a moment. Steak Shack sounds amazing and something I’m looking into! Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you not taken short vacations before? Then consider yourself lucky

You’re already operating in a deficit mindset. Poor me, we don’t have as much time as I want, we only have one activity a day planned. You need to go in with an asset-based mindset. Even if you don’t believe yourself at first you have to think/say the positive/grateful thoughts. You can actually change your mindset this way if you’re open to it.

“We get to celebrate the milestone of our daughter’s graduation! So proud of her!”

“We get to go on this exciting vacation!”

“We get to have relaxing time AND have planned events every day.”

“We get to spend time as a family”

“We get to have….” (Now it’s your turn to fill in the blanks)

Anytime you have a “we only have” or “I wish we had” thought—acknowledge it and say BUT we also…. (And fill in a thought like the ones above)

This is such great life advice for really anything. Thank you to this person. A positive mindset and gratitude is key.

Agreed, I am a DP and love this as framing advice for anything.

[Anonymous]

You're going to have a magical five days! We went there for our honeymoon when we were completely broke. Stayed at the cheapest hotel, didn't do anything expensive, ate at cheapo sushi restaurants that were only advertised in Japanese. 6 days we will never forget.
Also don't think of this as your last family trip. It may be the last for this season of life but we travel with my parents once a year or so along with my sister and her family. My mom loves having her two girls with her again.

[Anonymous]

Don't just count your one activity as an activity. Going to the beach can be an activity. Walking on the beach after dinner can be an activity. A festive lunch can be an activity. Enjoy the environment and beauty that is around you.

I often travel for short times (next trip is 4 days in London) and the key is to immerse yourself in the experience. I find that I often prefer 4-5 days rather than 7-8 because I get tired of restaurant food, and not being able to do laundry, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you not taken short vacations before? Then consider yourself lucky

You’re already operating in a deficit mindset. Poor me, we don’t have as much time as I want, we only have one activity a day planned. You need to go in with an asset-based mindset. Even if you don’t believe yourself at first you have to think/say the positive/grateful thoughts. You can actually change your mindset this way if you’re open to it.

“We get to celebrate the milestone of our daughter’s graduation! So proud of her!”

“We get to go on this exciting vacation!”

“We get to have relaxing time AND have planned events every day.”

“We get to spend time as a family”

“We get to have….” (Now it’s your turn to fill in the blanks)

Anytime you have a “we only have” or “I wish we had” thought—acknowledge it and say BUT we also…. (And fill in a thought like the ones above)

This is such great life advice for really anything. Thank you to this person. A positive mindset and gratitude is key.

I’m also going to incorporate this advice into my life!

I try to remind myself that I make active choices. So instead of wishing that I could stay longer, I would say, we decided our budget is X, which is right for us because of Y and Z. And this is the trip we wanted to take within that budget.

I sometimes wish I was going to take my kids to Disney world. But, I have chosen other trips over Disney. So, it’s a choice.

[Anonymous]

I’m looking at very reduced trip to Disney because of job loss so I understand. We’ve been promising the trip for a year and the time will be cut in half, but I’m betting the kid will remember that they went to Disney, not how long they stayed.

[Anonymous]

It's going to be amazing, OP! We do a lot of short trips to places that people usually spend longer amounts of time at: 48 hours in Hawaii, 7 days in Asia, etc.

I treat it as normal. Like your plan, we have 1 special activity per day. We try to have one meal per day at the hotel (either room service or a poolside meal or dinner in the fancy hotel restaurant or tea in a lobby) so we aren't spending tons of time waiting at a restaurant or driving somewhere. When we're tired or jet lagged, we take our tiredness to a more scenic location: a nap on the beach or reading quietly and having coffee outside while waiting for sunrise.

It sounds spectacular. I never traveled with my parents after age 10 or so, and I would love to do something like your trip with my DD one day. You're living an aspirational life, enjoy it!!!

PS bring back a treat from your trip to have at breakfast for the next week- pastries, special cookies, special jam, coffee, whatever. It'll prolong the vacation vibes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you not taken short vacations before? Then consider yourself lucky

You’re already operating in a deficit mindset. Poor me, we don’t have as much time as I want, we only have one activity a day planned. You need to go in with an asset-based mindset. Even if you don’t believe yourself at first you have to think/say the positive/grateful thoughts. You can actually change your mindset this way if you’re open to it.

“We get to celebrate the milestone of our daughter’s graduation! So proud of her!”

“We get to go on this exciting vacation!”

“We get to have relaxing time AND have planned events every day.”

“We get to spend time as a family”

“We get to have….” (Now it’s your turn to fill in the blanks)

Anytime you have a “we only have” or “I wish we had” thought—acknowledge it and say BUT we also…. (And fill in a thought like the ones above)

We have, but we are usually able to incorporate the first and last days into the vacation, which we can’t here—we are also traveling very far (Hawaii) and I can’t stop thinking that by the time we wake up on Sunday, unpack, we will be doing it all over again in reverse by Thursday night. I’m not trying to sound entitled and I realize my privilege is showing, but we aren’t “rich” and we saved to take this trip.

I’m feeling a lot of things, it’s our last “big” trip with DD potentially, we spent a ton of money to get here and I want to feel we did everything while also wanting to make sure we relaxed. I think it’s the distance that is making me wish we had more time, I don’t know. But I do appreciate your advice. I will work on changing my mindset right now.

It’s ok, I understand. I’m not rich either and Hawaii is a bucket list dream for me, so I would probably be sad if I had a short time, too.

It sounds like you have good intentions to have a positive mindset. It’s also okay to have negative feelings, acknowledge them, and see if you can just push through. With the graduation you have a lot of big things happening. Sending you a virtual hug from an internet stranger! I hope the trip goes well and you enjoy the time with your family

Thanks so much! I hope you get there one day and check it off your bucket list!

Thank you! I hope so, too!! Working hard to make it happen 😊

Still traveling with DS and his family, 15 years after we thought it was our last trip together. So it doesn't necessarily have to be the last. That said, Hawaii for 5 days is bound to feel like a crunched vacation. There is a big time difference, and you will feel it arriving and leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you not taken short vacations before? Then consider yourself lucky

You’re already operating in a deficit mindset. Poor me, we don’t have as much time as I want, we only have one activity a day planned. You need to go in with an asset-based mindset. Even if you don’t believe yourself at first you have to think/say the positive/grateful thoughts. You can actually change your mindset this way if you’re open to it.

“We get to celebrate the milestone of our daughter’s graduation! So proud of her!”

“We get to go on this exciting vacation!”

“We get to have relaxing time AND have planned events every day.”

“We get to spend time as a family”

“We get to have….” (Now it’s your turn to fill in the blanks)

Anytime you have a “we only have” or “I wish we had” thought—acknowledge it and say BUT we also…. (And fill in a thought like the ones above)

This is such great life advice for really anything. Thank you to this person. A positive mindset and gratitude is key.

Agreed, I am a DP and love this as framing advice for anything.

I’m the pp—I’m so happy this has been helpful for some of you! I really hope it will bring more positivity and joy to your life like it has to mine. Since I’ve learned the phrase “toxic positivity” I’ve been hesitant to share my tips with people online and in real life. But I’ve benefited so much from tips like this in books and online, especially in the past 5 years. I hope it benefits you all as well.