3 Areas to Prepare Beforehand to Make the Most of Your Vacation

Vacation.

It is now the middle of summer and you most likely have either gone on a vacation or are planning on going on your summer vacation soon. The excitement of getting away from it all can often be overshadowed by all that has to be accomplished before you leave.

There are different types of vacations that we take. It’s different when it’s just you going somewhere and when it’s you and your kids and your entire family. When I go on vacation with my husband, we stay up late and sleep in and lay out on lounge chairs with a drink in hand. Vacationing with kids is the same as being at home except they are more tired because they miss naps. And they get up at 5:45 am instead of their usual 6:30 wake up time. Although it can be exhausting, it is also a lot of fun.

I love to vacation. We have been in a stressful season of our family life, with one thing happening after another. Luckily, I have a great partner in this life who is my rock and together we navigate as obstacles arise. I couldn’t be more thankful for him.

To vacation means to vacate your life. Unless you are able to take a long vacation, often this isn’t possible. You still think about your job or something at home or if people are going to come look at the house you are selling. At the same time, you so desperately need a break from your life.

How can you ensure you have the best vacation possible? Make the most of your vacation. Here are 3 areas to prepare beforehand to make the most of your vacation.

1. Work

Before you leave work for your vacation, try to wrap up as many loose ends as possible. Make the phone calls you have been putting off and return emails. Tell your boss where you are at with different projects. Hand off any assignments to co-workers who might be overseeing your projects while you are gone. Write down any pending items you need to take care of when you return. You won’t worry as much if you know it’s being taken care of or if you have a plan to take care of it when you return.

2. Home

The best thing we do in preparing for vacation is hiring a house sitter. It is usually our neighbors son (who happens to be an old co-worker) who watches our house and dogs. The first time he watched the house and dogs I kept asking my husband to check in with him to make sure everything was ok. Now that he has done it so many times I don’t have to worry about it. I know it is being taken care of by a reliable college student. Having a house sitter lined up ensures items at home are being tended to.

3. Plan

Know what there is to do.

If you are going on a vacation to a location you go often, then you know what there is to do. If it’s a new town or a different part of town that you are staying, do some research beforehand to see how you can spend your time. If you happen to know someone who lives in the town you are visiting you might be able to get some insider information from a local on things to do and places to go. With kids, we do a day of planned activity (like the zoo or theme park) and then a low key day (like the beach) so we can ensure they get a nap in their beds. This helps for all of our sanity.

And While You are on Vacation

Be all there.

It can be easy to focus on the things back home or get sucked into social media. You will only have that one vacation at this age in your life with your family. My girls will only be this exact age once. Focus on the time you have to spend with them. Give each other grace while living in close quarters while also lacking sleep. If it’s just you and your spouse, I’m sure you are getting plenty of rest without the kids. Make lasting memories with your family. The hustle and bustle of life and responsibility will return soon enough. Embrace the time together.

[bctt tweet=”Responsibility will return soon enough. Embrace the time together.”]

In conclusion…

Vacations can be stressful. I’m in the thick of an awesome vacation with my husband, kids, my parents, sister, bro-in-law, and niece. There are 9 people living together in extremely close quarters. Since vacations can be stressful, get rid of as much stress as possible before you leave home and embrace all that your vacation has to offer.

How do you prepare when going on vacation? Let me know what I missed!

Here’s to the Journey!