The mere thought of a vacation makes me smile. It reminds me of all those carefree summers of childhood when the school year was done and vacation officially started. Long, lazy days with endless sunshine. Late nights and even later mornings. Five hour Monopoly games. Singing ice cream trucks. Pajama parties. Bike riding. Hula dancing. Oh, what fun! By the end of August, I was indeed a new person—sun bronzed and taller—yes—but I had definitely grown in more ways than height, ready to start the next school year with some new clothes and a fresh attitude. Joy, growth and renewal are what vacations should provide, however, in our fast-paced, overscheduled and stress filled adult lives, we often overlook the value these benefits.
Here are five ways to have a REAL vacation that is happy and fun no matter how old you are.
1. Always use your vacation time.
According to the World Tourism Organization, Americans take an average of 13 vacation days a year compared to Brazilians who take 34 and Italians who take 42. Given those statistics, it’s amazing that some of us actually don’t use what little vacation time we have! If you’re all about work and no play, you are surely headed for a burn-out down the road. Work will always be there, but your happiness could be lost forever. You can’t have an enjoyable vacation if you choose not to have one at all.
2. Define “vacation” on your own terms.
You don’t have to take a trip, spend a lot of money, or even leave your house to have a vacation. All you need to do is take a break from your normal routine or work. If you happen to travel on your job, staying at home may be the perfect retreat for you. Or perhaps you’d like to spend your free time taking a pottery class, planting a garden, reading a few good novels, spending time with friends and family, or just listening to the birds sing while you gentle swing in your backyard hammock. A vacation is a frame of mind, not a place or schedule. So, do whatever gets you into it.
3. Do your research.
If you do plan on taking a trip, make sure there are no unpleasant surprises when you get there. Call and ask in advance to find out about things like kid friendly or pet friendly accommodations, transportation services, safety, climate, etc. There are plenty of travel books and Internet sites that provide all the necessary information to make your trip a pleasant one. Or, you can take the old-fashioned approach and book your travel arrangements through an experienced and knowledgeable travel agent or tour company.
4. Relax and enjoy.
Don’t treat your vacation like a work project. Too much planning, organizing, list making and over scheduling gives you no time to relax and enjoy yourself. Get out of work mode and kick back. Don’t feel as if every day needs an itinerary—unless you’re on a group tour and all you have to do is show up. Try to space out planned activities to every other day with alternate days off for whatever you feel like doing in the moment. Otherwise, you’ll end up needing a vacation from your vacation when it’s all over!
5. Leave work behind.
The whole point of vacation is to take a break from work, not to have thoughts and messages from work mixing in with your sweet, creamy Pina Coladas or daring sky diving lessons. How is a goddess supposed to have any fun? Leave the laptop behind, don’t check voice mail, and don’t call the office. Change your outgoing phone messages and set up an auto reply on email to make sure everyone knows you’re not available until your return date. This is your time to put yourself first and have a happy vacation!
6/27/08
Five Ways to Enjoy Your Vacation
6/14/08
No Expectations
About a year ago, I was on the red carpet at a Hollywood premier shaking hands with people like Debra Messing, Fran Drescher, Eric McCormick and Marcia Cross to name a few. I was decked out in a sparkly turquoise sequined dress, silver spiked sandals, sexy long hair extensions and make-up done by a celebrity artist. It was the last night of a five-day trip during which I was lavished with first class accommodations in Beverly Hills, spa services, shopping money, gifts, exquisite dining and a private limo! I also got to film a commercial that aired nationally. Who would have thought a little suggestion by my husband Joe would have led me to all that! Not I, for sure! That’s the beauty of doing something purely for fun, with no expectations.
A few months prior, Joe and I saw a commercial on TV about a “40s and Fabulous” contest sponsored by Pond’s and the USA network. Joe suggested I enter. Without knowing much about what I would win, I wrote up a short essay and sent it in with digital photo. Then I forgot about it until a couple of months later when someone called to tell me I was a semi-finalist. The next step would be a taped phone interview, which I proceeded to do half way through an intense work-out session. A week after I was told I did not get on Oprah (see my previous blog about that), I got a call saying I was one of the five winners of this contest! My first thought was, “This is way more fun than Oprah!”
I think the fact that I had no expectations about this contest helped me win. I wasn’t trying to spin an angle on the essay, but rather just wrote from my heart. I didn’t send in a classic model photo, but rather one I had recently took in my backyard. I didn’t put together any notes before doing the phone interview, but rather opted to do it on the spot when they called. Sometimes you just gotta put yourself out there without knowing or caring what happens next. Without expectations, there can be no disappointments.
If you want to see my celebrity red carpet look or the commercial vignette, here is the link that will take you to both: http://reallifelessons.com/news/fortyfab.htm
