Another vacation… What was I thinking?
Well, I went and did it. Something that I am sure many of us do all too often. What is this “it” you may ask? I had expectations for a family trip. I mean seriously, WHAT WAS I THINKING? After each vacation I always tell myself that I am not going to get my hopes up for the next trip and then, BAM, I do it again. I guess I really just don’t learn my lesson. So with our recent trip to Denver, five expectations became abundantly clear. Here is a run down of what I expected and the harsh reality that smacked me in the face.
Locals would be warm & welcoming.
First let me explain, I live in the land of Southern Hospitality. An area where you wave and smile at people even if you don’t know them. So I was in for a complete culture shock when I was walking through a store and I flashed that southern charm smile and was met with the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen in my 36 years. I tried to brush it off, thinking that maybe that individual was just having a bad day. But I was quickly shown just how cold and uninviting the people really were. Admittedly, the only time I came across friendly faces and warm personalities was in the local Disney store.
Everything will go according to plan.
I try to have a few key tasks on the list of what we want to accomplish on our trip. For Denver, I wanted our family to go to the zoo, the aquarium, the local amusement park, and do some shopping. Yes, we did manage to hit a few places on our list, but sadly didn’t get to do everything we had planned to do. The biggest reason for this roadblock: Altitude Sickness. I had no idea that when you live in an area that is closer to sea level and then you travel somewhere with extreme altitude like the Mile High City, you will more than likely experience symptoms of an illness known as altitude sickness. This hit our first full day there when one of the kids spent the better part of the morning vomiting. This was followed by days of the other two (who are on the Autism Spectrum) being extremely irritable and having digestive issues of their own.
I packed everything we need.
So no matter how good my intentions are or how much effort I put into packing beforehand, I always seem to forget at least one item. Whether it’s as simple as bubble bath for the kids or my husband’s Breath Right Nasal Strips… something always seems to lapse my mind. And I always seem to be surprised when I am unpacking at the hotel and realize that I forgot said item. I can honestly say that the only item that I forgot this time was a planned snack for our little guy. However, the husband came up with a list a mile long of things that he thought we needed when I went to the store to pick up said snack. Expectation=no trips to the dreaded Walmart; Reality=at least one, if not multiple trips to the store.
The kids will enjoy the entire trip.
There it is, that trail where those tears fell on her freshly painted face. This wasn’t the first tear that fell and it definitely wasn’t the last during our trip either. I think as parents we all want to assume that our children are going to thoroughly enjoy the trips we plan. And when that doesn’t happen, we doubt our entire plan. Even though I hoped and prayed that my kids would enjoy every aspect of our trip, I also wasn’t 100% naive to the fact that the proverbial poop would hit the fan either. Some may call me a pessimist, but I like to consider myself a realist. And the real side of me knows that even the happiest of kids won’t be happy all of the time.
It will be a relaxing time away.
Vacations are planned to be a chance to get away from the routine and responsibilities of everyday life right? So then why do I always feel more exhausted and mentally drained when I am on a trip. I always feel more relieved to be back home than I did the day we arrived at our destination. So am I doing this whole vacation thing wrong or am I picking the wrong destinations? You be the judge.
Maybe this vacation did teach me something.
First, it has reminded me of the old adage: Hope for the best, but expect the worst. Expectations on vacation, as well as in life, can be a complete mood killer. They take what was supposed to be a golden moment and tarnish it into a bad memory. Even though I am thankful that we took the leap and went somewhere far off from home, I also learned that my children just aren’t ready to endure that kind of travel. Or at least not when we are on a timeframe. The trip really taught me not to just research the activities of the area, but also the people. Those natives can make or break a trip just with their attitudes. Lastly, it reminded me that I can’t focus on the negatives, the tantrums and the activities not achieved. Instead, I must make sure my focus is on the positive moments, the smiles on faces and the memories that will last a lifetime.
Have you ever been on a trip and had high expectations? Did they end up matching reality? Or did you end up with a healthy dose of the same medicine that I received? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below.
Read Part 1 of Heather’s vacation story here.