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Themed Weekend: Family Vacation
By Stephanie | June 26, 2009
When it comes to traveling, I’m all about the destination.
I know you’re supposed to enjoy the journey too and I try, but – if I could say, “Beam me up, Scottie!” and arrive safely in Paris, London, New Zealand, or North Carolina…I would.
I wouldn’t miss the cramped spaces in cars, the icky fast food stops, the airport delays, the not-cleaned-often-enough airplane seats, the stifling regurgitated airplane air, the missed nap times, etc. That part of traveling? So NOT my favorite.
When we reach the destination, however, I’m Miss Fun-In-The-Sun (or rain or snow or whatever the case may be). I want to see the sights, to meet the people, to experience everything, and – yes – to relax too.
But since I can’t skip ahead to the destination, I figure I might as well do my best to make the experience on the road or in the air as fun and stress-less as possible. I want to savor the moments because the fact is that many of my fondest traveling memories have been in the car – especially pre-kids, when my husband and I would have long conversations about a million different things.
The reality is that I love traveling – the memory-making moments of pandemonium along the journey and the new experiences that await me at the destination (I just happen to like the latter more).
YOUR TURN: When it comes to traveling, are you more of a “destination” person or a “journey” person?
***Stay tuned for product reviews (+ giveaways) and ideas to help you create peaceful and positive vacation experiences…for yourself and for the whole family.
Topics: themed weekends, traveling with baby | 18 Comments »
June 27th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Right now, with 2 young kids, I am a destination person. When it was just DH and I, we were totally journey people. One of my favorite vacations was us in a car, driving wherever the mood struck. We had plans to camp with family for the first 3 days, but after that, we just said, “I feel like going to…” So we went. We camped at Donner Lake, went to Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, and Reno and spent one night in a bizarre little hotel in the middle of nowhere because we didn’t feel like driving the last two hours home. There is a part of me that misses the journey in our vacations now, but this is a phase that will pass in a few years as the kids learn that travel can be part of the fun.
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June 27th, 2009 at 5:06 am
I can’t wait to see what you’ve got this week! We’re leaving on a 20 hour road trip in a few weeks with a 3 1/2 year old and 9 month old. Heaven help us!
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June 27th, 2009 at 5:33 am
I am definitely a destination person. I hate the trip, and I’m all about just GETTIN THERE ALREADY. :-)
That said, I’m open to ideas on making the trip part more fun.
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June 27th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Well, I’d have to say I’m not really either – I’m kind of a homebody! I’ve certainly had some fun vacations, though, and I think the anticipation is the most fun part. I love having something to look forward to!
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June 27th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Destination! We love to travel. I used to travel a lot in the car with when I was younger and I didn’t like it. Get me on a plane and quickly to my destination. LOL
Although I wouldn’t mind traveling with hubs in a motor home sometime around the great USA! I think that would be fun.
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June 27th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I am sooo a destination person….Beam me up with you! LOL! 12 hour plane flights, 24 hour car rides…I can skip those in a heartbeat! But the best destinations are often the furthest away…..funny how that is….
I can’t wait for this series! You’re talking about one of my favorite things…TRAVEL!
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June 27th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I guess a little of both, though with kids, I lean heavier towards the destination. Still, I love the journey. My husband loves to drive, and I love to watch the scenery go by. Sometimes I’ll read aloud from the newspaper, or if the kids are awake, I’ll read from one of their books. I love the idea of going where the fancy takes us.
I especially love the international part of the travel experience. There is nothing so thrilling to me as being in an international airport – or better yet, train station – and seeing people from all over, departing for all destinations, speaking 2-3-4 different languages! The hustle and bustle, the families, the couples, the business people, the immigrants/emigrants.
But for all my enjoyment of the journey, I am never quite satisfied until I know my head has a place to rest that night, be it a hotel or a tent!
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June 27th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I’m a little bit of both. I actually don’t like trips where I feel rushed on the way to and from. But the destination to me is also really important.
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June 27th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
The destination. I just got home from a 13 hour car trip home from Utah and now… I am not willing to do another journey for a really, really long time. We made some great memories while we were there. I get sooo really nervous packing and planning and then I finally relax when we get there.I do not like the journey. ALthough my 4 year old wanted an adventure like in the movie,”UP” I told him driving 13 hours in the car to Utah was an adventure. He said it wasn’t the same! He wanted the balloons to take us there! haha
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June 27th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
My favorite vacations are when we drive down the Oregon coast to visit our families in California. The driving is the relaxing part. I love our family but it’s go go go once we get there.
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June 27th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I have never been a travel person but I do like visiting other places. I just hate the getting-there part…
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June 27th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Before kids it was the whole thing. Now I’d just like to get there and get there quickly!
Nell
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June 27th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Sometimes I’m into the destination and sometimes the journey. Our honeymoon was spent driving across the US reading to each other and stopping when we found something interesting. It was a fun low-key kinda trip. But sometimes – like the weekend I chaperoned a trip to Disneyland the journey was spent sleeping and the mini-vaca was all about the destination!
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June 28th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
i’m more of the journey person but now that we have kids sometimes its just easier to forge forward and just get there.
:)
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June 28th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Hmm, I think it depends. The journey can really make the vacation, but if I’m being honest, I love the destination most. With the kids this young, we try to make the journey as quickly but comfortably as we can because they don’t really understand the traveling thing too well.
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June 28th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Destination all the way… since having 4 kiddos, at least. In my college days I did enjoy a good road trip or two, but now there is too much stuff to take, and it doesn’t hurt that we have great airline travel benefits b/c hubbie is a pilot.
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June 29th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Destination!!! I love traveling, but not all the hassles of packing and getting there. We took a little road trip this weekend with both kids to Olympic National Park and just the 6 hour drive was…trying. So many potty stops, oh my goodness.
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June 30th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
We just got back from vacation last night! I am definitely a destination person…I hate traveling in the car, especially with a toddler. In spite of the constant crying, lost credit card and icky fast food, we managed to have a good time. I sure could have done without the seven hour drive each way though!
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