For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is in full swing. And while I could argue that the weather here in Virginia has gone directly from winter to summer, it is still spring on the calendar, which means that many of us are starting to think about summer vacation planning. During my around the world travels, after giving a Cliff's Notes version of my itinerary to new friends I met along the way, they would often say to me, "Wow. That sounds like the trip of a lifetime (TOAL)." I always agreed with them, but always with a bit of trepidation. How could I really know whether this trip was the TOAL without having lived my entire life? It was certainly a memorable, life-changing trip, which 50 years from now when I think back to all of the vacations I will have taken during my lifetime, may stand the test of time and indeed be 'The Trip of My Lifetime,' but then again, maybe not. I guess if I am still blogging with the free time I have in between chair exercising and bingo at the local nursing home, I'll get back to you as to whether Around the World 2012 was indeed my TOAL.
So, I got to thinking. If all of us are to someday look back upon a lifetime of vacations, wouldn't it be nice to have taken a vacation so memorable that it clearly stands above all the rest? I think so. So how does a typical vacation morph into the TOAL? Let's explore.
1. Location. Location. Location.
While I'm not going to tell you that you can't have truly memorable trips going to the same beach resort/vacation home year after year after year, I do think there has to be some sort of uniqueness/exotic twist to a TOAL. If you're comparing trips trying to rank which one is more memorable, and the destination for each of those trips is the same, then location can no longer be a determining factor in deciding which trip was ultimately more memorable. Which is to say, "Mix it up people!" Go to a different beach. Leave your home state. Better yet, get a passport and leave the country. There are an abundance of destinations around the world which have jaw-dropping beauty. Get out and see a few
2. Time
It is entirely possible that your TOAL could happen over a weekend get-a-way. However, it is more likely to happen if your trip lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Is it more unique to take a trip that lasts a year or a trip where you took your last 2 remaining vacation days took Friday and Monday off? Would not your odds of seeing and doing something more memorable improve if you had more time for those opportunities to exist? Ask your employer if you can save vacation time and maybe take as much as 3-4wks away from your job. In a world where a 1 week vacation is standard, 2 weeks is rare, and anything longer probably means you are unemployed, taking that prolonged vacation might be enough to make that 1 lengthy vacation more special than all of the rest.
3. Spontaneity
For those of you know me best, you know that I am a planner. DNA has dictated this, no question about it. This trait has manifested itself in other ways as well. In never being the biggest, strongest, and fastest person, I had to break down an opponents weakness to figure out how I could best exploit those weaknesses. On a daily basis, I try to understand why things happen and what it all means to me. I like to analyze situations and try to make sense of it all. That is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to let go and let things happen. If you plan everything to the Nth degree, you can end up going through life wearing blinders and become oblivious to your surroundings. If you are planning every moment of every vacation, you are ultimately doing yourself a disservice. Leave a few days to just get lost, to explore, and to talk to locals. Try the local food, partake in dance, and do your best to immerse yourself in the culture. With limited vacation time and because we want to visit world renowned sights, this isn't always easy. But trust me. Letting yourself go where the wind blows and taking off your tourist sightseeing blinders can really enhance the overall memorability of a vacation. More often than not, it is those unplanned moments which become the most impactful long lasting memories.
4. Action vs. Inaction
This is a tough one. I am fully aware that a large percentage of vacationers lead hectic lives and that when they vacation, they choose to lie on a beach or be catered to/pampered on a cruise. Relaxation is the name of the game. I understand the value of this type of vacation, but my understanding stops if this is the only type of vacation you know. If you are widdling down your choices for your TOAL and are coming to your conclusion based upon whose hospitality was better, Royal Caribbean or Carnival cruises, that's unfortunate. Likewise, if you have to think to yourself, 'Which year had better weather and allowed me more time to lay on beach and sleep/read: 2012 or 1988?,' again, that's unfortunate. Vacations in almost every case will be more memorable if you are active. If you are in a different location every couple of nights, seeing various natural wonders, participating in a variety of adrenaline activities, getting dirty, and making yourself physically exhausted, you are more likely to have experienced a TOAL. It can be so rewarding to break out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. You might come to the end of this type of vacation and be miserable, but you might also have had the time of your life. Don't you owe it to yourself to at least try?
5. Stuff
I reached deep into my vocabulary vault for the title of this section. A TOAL needs stuff. If your entire vacation is beach or mountain or urban, it will most likely be less memorable than a vacation which would include all 3. Think of how great a day like this could be: You wake up early and go for a hike in the Italian Dolomites. You get back into town late morning and catch a train to Venice. By days' end you are riding on a gondola in one of the most unique cities in the world. A day of mountains, water, and historic sights. Or how about the best day I ever had. An early morning hike to Machu Picchu with a rolling fog covering the valley. As the sun rose, the fog disappears, and the majestic ruins are revealed for all to see. A morning tour of the ruins precedes a train ride through the mountains and a raging river. Once back at our van, we start driving back to Cusco. All of a sudden, Mother Nature forces us to pull over on the side of the road. Vibrant blues and oranges fill the sky and highlight the jagged mountains in the most spectacular of ways with one of the most amazing sunsets you will ever see. The night ends with an amazing dinner, amazing dancing, and amazing company. Days like this will obviously be busy, but they are so exhilarating and so rewarding. I would love to hear the argument of someone who would try to convince me that a vacation full of endless days lying on the beach is better than what I just described. If you still want your lazy beach day, have one of them after days like I just described. The beach day will then enhance the overall WOW factor of a vacation because you will have seen ruins, mountains, gone on a hike, eaten local food, and had time on a beach. In the end, the more stuff you pack into a vacation, the more likely you will have a TOAL.
So there you have it. Planning a vacation which combines a few of the factors described above could quite possibly turn your next vacation into the TOAL. Too often in life, we do what is comfortable and familiar. But how do things become comfortable and familiar in the first place? Every job has an awkward first day. I'm sure the first time many of us went to the beach as kids, we were afraid of the water or didn't like the hot sand. I'd also be willing to bet that many of us have also grown to enjoy certain foods which seemed gross when we were kids. We can only ever know what we like by trying new things and being open to new experiences. Push your boundaries. You might like what you learn about yourself. Now go plan that TRIP OF A LIFETIME. Cheers.
So, I got to thinking. If all of us are to someday look back upon a lifetime of vacations, wouldn't it be nice to have taken a vacation so memorable that it clearly stands above all the rest? I think so. So how does a typical vacation morph into the TOAL? Let's explore.
1. Location. Location. Location.
While I'm not going to tell you that you can't have truly memorable trips going to the same beach resort/vacation home year after year after year, I do think there has to be some sort of uniqueness/exotic twist to a TOAL. If you're comparing trips trying to rank which one is more memorable, and the destination for each of those trips is the same, then location can no longer be a determining factor in deciding which trip was ultimately more memorable. Which is to say, "Mix it up people!" Go to a different beach. Leave your home state. Better yet, get a passport and leave the country. There are an abundance of destinations around the world which have jaw-dropping beauty. Get out and see a few
2. Time
It is entirely possible that your TOAL could happen over a weekend get-a-way. However, it is more likely to happen if your trip lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Is it more unique to take a trip that lasts a year or a trip where you took your last 2 remaining vacation days took Friday and Monday off? Would not your odds of seeing and doing something more memorable improve if you had more time for those opportunities to exist? Ask your employer if you can save vacation time and maybe take as much as 3-4wks away from your job. In a world where a 1 week vacation is standard, 2 weeks is rare, and anything longer probably means you are unemployed, taking that prolonged vacation might be enough to make that 1 lengthy vacation more special than all of the rest.
3. Spontaneity
For those of you know me best, you know that I am a planner. DNA has dictated this, no question about it. This trait has manifested itself in other ways as well. In never being the biggest, strongest, and fastest person, I had to break down an opponents weakness to figure out how I could best exploit those weaknesses. On a daily basis, I try to understand why things happen and what it all means to me. I like to analyze situations and try to make sense of it all. That is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to let go and let things happen. If you plan everything to the Nth degree, you can end up going through life wearing blinders and become oblivious to your surroundings. If you are planning every moment of every vacation, you are ultimately doing yourself a disservice. Leave a few days to just get lost, to explore, and to talk to locals. Try the local food, partake in dance, and do your best to immerse yourself in the culture. With limited vacation time and because we want to visit world renowned sights, this isn't always easy. But trust me. Letting yourself go where the wind blows and taking off your tourist sightseeing blinders can really enhance the overall memorability of a vacation. More often than not, it is those unplanned moments which become the most impactful long lasting memories.
4. Action vs. Inaction
This is a tough one. I am fully aware that a large percentage of vacationers lead hectic lives and that when they vacation, they choose to lie on a beach or be catered to/pampered on a cruise. Relaxation is the name of the game. I understand the value of this type of vacation, but my understanding stops if this is the only type of vacation you know. If you are widdling down your choices for your TOAL and are coming to your conclusion based upon whose hospitality was better, Royal Caribbean or Carnival cruises, that's unfortunate. Likewise, if you have to think to yourself, 'Which year had better weather and allowed me more time to lay on beach and sleep/read: 2012 or 1988?,' again, that's unfortunate. Vacations in almost every case will be more memorable if you are active. If you are in a different location every couple of nights, seeing various natural wonders, participating in a variety of adrenaline activities, getting dirty, and making yourself physically exhausted, you are more likely to have experienced a TOAL. It can be so rewarding to break out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. You might come to the end of this type of vacation and be miserable, but you might also have had the time of your life. Don't you owe it to yourself to at least try?
5. Stuff
I reached deep into my vocabulary vault for the title of this section. A TOAL needs stuff. If your entire vacation is beach or mountain or urban, it will most likely be less memorable than a vacation which would include all 3. Think of how great a day like this could be: You wake up early and go for a hike in the Italian Dolomites. You get back into town late morning and catch a train to Venice. By days' end you are riding on a gondola in one of the most unique cities in the world. A day of mountains, water, and historic sights. Or how about the best day I ever had. An early morning hike to Machu Picchu with a rolling fog covering the valley. As the sun rose, the fog disappears, and the majestic ruins are revealed for all to see. A morning tour of the ruins precedes a train ride through the mountains and a raging river. Once back at our van, we start driving back to Cusco. All of a sudden, Mother Nature forces us to pull over on the side of the road. Vibrant blues and oranges fill the sky and highlight the jagged mountains in the most spectacular of ways with one of the most amazing sunsets you will ever see. The night ends with an amazing dinner, amazing dancing, and amazing company. Days like this will obviously be busy, but they are so exhilarating and so rewarding. I would love to hear the argument of someone who would try to convince me that a vacation full of endless days lying on the beach is better than what I just described. If you still want your lazy beach day, have one of them after days like I just described. The beach day will then enhance the overall WOW factor of a vacation because you will have seen ruins, mountains, gone on a hike, eaten local food, and had time on a beach. In the end, the more stuff you pack into a vacation, the more likely you will have a TOAL.
So there you have it. Planning a vacation which combines a few of the factors described above could quite possibly turn your next vacation into the TOAL. Too often in life, we do what is comfortable and familiar. But how do things become comfortable and familiar in the first place? Every job has an awkward first day. I'm sure the first time many of us went to the beach as kids, we were afraid of the water or didn't like the hot sand. I'd also be willing to bet that many of us have also grown to enjoy certain foods which seemed gross when we were kids. We can only ever know what we like by trying new things and being open to new experiences. Push your boundaries. You might like what you learn about yourself. Now go plan that TRIP OF A LIFETIME. Cheers.
