4.11.2012

How Not to Go on Vacation

Like I mentioned last week, I’m taking a little more time away from the blog until life calms down. Today, Amy from Buffalo Roam is here filling my void, and if you’ve never “met” Amy, you’ll want to head over to her blog right now so that you can: she’s funny, she’s sweet, she’s about to move into an amazingly unique house that she and her husband designed. And because it’s vacation time for a lot of people, she’s sharing some of her best tips for how not to go on vacation. In her words: “I'm the girl who can't enjoy time off, because I'm so worried about making sure I enjoy my time off.” Are you that girl, too?


Hey. I'm Amy. I'm usually here, but am so happy to be at Erin's today. Seriously, I stalk her blog like my local Chipotle. Most of my comments to her are usually just laughing noises in capital letters because the girl just tickles me, but I honestly really enjoy the heart of her blog and am so pleased she would invite me over.

I’m sure vacation is on everyone's mind with summer just around the corner, so I thought I'd throw my two cents in. My advice can best be summed up in four little words.

"Don't be like me."

I'm the girl who can't enjoy time off, because I'm so worried about making sure I enjoy my time off.

So all you traveling people, whatever you do:

1 – Don’t too caught up in packing. We girls like to look our very best at all times, am I right? But especially when you're in some exotic destination and you know there will be approximately 500 pictures taken. There is much added pressure to look perfect. So what I generally do is pack cutesie stuff that I never wear in real life so that I feel awkward and uncomfortable the entire time I'm gone. Plus, I pack way too much so that I'll have several outfits to choose from on any given day and never leave enough room to bring anything back with me.

2 – Don’t plan anything too carefully. I like schedules. I like knowing what my next several steps are in sequential order, and I hate to be late. This mentality doesn't work well on vaycay when your only task is to go with the flow. It has been my experience that if you try to plan anything too precisely, Murphy's Law will kick in and you'll never make it.

The expectation...

The reality...

3 – Don’t follow the rules! I'm a rule follower, for the most part, and I have a hard time steering off the straightest path, and I've probably missed out on making some really great memories, because it doesn't occur to me to do anything that isn't on my printed brochure.

4 – Don’t take yourself too seriously. Vacation is a time to truly enjoy yourself, relax, be in love, eat fattening foods, skip the sunscreen, go barefoot, and most importantly, make some wonderful memories...

So, everyone, if you do find yourself on vacation soon, just remember the phrase "Don't be like Amy" and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time!


There you have it: you are now granted permission to dress like a bum, rebel against schedules, and come back with 10 pounds that you didn’t leave with. Sounds good to me! :)

Which piece of Amy’s advice resonates with you? Who will burn and absolutely not tan if they skip the sunscreen? Am I the only one who sometimes eats breakfast for lunch even when I’m not on vacation? ;)

17 comments :

  1. Amy is dead on except the sunscreen. You must always wear sunscreen. I am a super fun vacationer. Can you tell???

    Great guest post!!!

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  2. These are such great tips - I identify a lot with Amy and her need to plan to the last detail in order to "enjoy" vacation.

    I am with you - I burn, peel, turn white, and burn again. I wear sunscreen daily and I am one of those annoying "can we go back to shore? i left my sunscreen in my bag" people on the boat. Except I really never forget my sunscreen. But I do reapply a hundred times. I can't be too careful! I only get this one layer of skin to take care of! ;)

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  3. Haha! This is me to a tee! Jesse always lets me plan the details of our trips, but after we're actually there he really chills me out and wont let me obsess.

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  4. #2 is SO true. It just adds stress if you plan too much!

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  5. She's so cute! I'm heading over to check out her blog.

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  6. Great post Amy! I can identify with a lot of those ideas too. I burn like crazy though so I always remember sunscreen ; )

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  7. Amy is the best! Love her humor and her post. But I could never go on a vacation with her ... to much stress! I'm a go with the flow vacationer.

    :)

    Linda

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  8. It took about oh.... 100 years, but I no longer pack as if I need to bring everything I own. So yeah, what Amy said had my name next to it once upon a time.

    ~Bliss~

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  9. Amy, you and I must laugh together. (I thought I heard you one day....or 97). Erin is the best (Hi, Erin!).

    I hardly go on vacation (I know, I'm so exciting), but when I do, I will be sure to chant your motto over and over. (While my husband wonders what is wrong with me.)

    I must say, that as much as I'd like to ditch the sunscreen and look like the native Miamian that I am, I'm more like a "fish out of water" here. I do not tan. I burn. And freckle. And then actually, my freckles run together to create a faux-tan. So, huh. Maybe I'm on to something.

    Thanks for the laughs with your post. (Did you hear them? ;)

    Adios!

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  10. Oh I do the EXACT same thing re: stressing about enjoying your time off. Andy always hates how I carefully track how much time we've already used up and how our time remaining is quickly dwindling. I then spend most of the remaining vacation time pointing out how our time is running out and we MUST ENJOY IT NOW. Another bad vacationer here. :)

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  11. i'm totally like that in my everyday life, but not on vacay! it's the one time i relax and try not to worry about every move.

    i am with erin in that i am going to NOT follow your advice about the sunscreen because i would totally turn out like a blistering lobster unable to walk or move for the whole rest of vacay...hahaha!

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  12. Amy, good advice and very funny. Any time you can tie in the Griswolds to a post, you win.

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  13. I'm a big fan of Amy - love her blog, LOVE her house and really enjoy her point of view. I am so much like her when it comes to packing - always pack the wrong things, way too much and spend my vacation trying to feel comfortable in my crazy outfits which I would never wear at home.

    Glad Amy came here because now I found your great blog. I'll be back.

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  14. I'm a little bit like Amy, especially the packing. And not just any vacation. I am heading to chicago for the weekend for a bachelorette party and I have 3 outfits packed...oye...

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  15. Anonymous4/13/2012

    Amy, you are such a darling. You know I would vacay with you any time! If only we could get a kayak on a bike it would be perfection!-Angie E

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  16. Haha I love this! I'm the one always trying to pack the cute clothes that I never wear at home, then I get there and I don't even like what I packed! But the relaxation part, I don't have any problems with that :)

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  17. Love it, Amy! Awesome guest post! :)

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