Lately, SL and I have been talking about growing our little family. We think we are ready to bring some kiddos into the world and for me, a big part about being ready to be a parent is feeling like I am finally at a place in my life where I am the type of person I would want my future kids to be.
Part of that is being more worldly and well traveled than I was 5 or 10 years ago. Travel is very important to both myself and SL and it is something we want to be a big part of our future family’s plan. I also want them to know the difference in travel vs vacation.
Travel vs Vacation
My Take on Travel
Adventure, exploring, seeing the sights, eating local, talking to locals, culture, navigating the unknown, public transportation, outside comfort zone, passport stamps, leaving feeling exhausted. My trip to Iceland and my honeymoon were both travel.
I didn’t start to travel until I was in my late 20s. This was a time in my life that I was coming into my own. I was ready to see the world and get out of my comfy USA bubble. So I booked a trip to Iceland, by myself.
Not only was this my first travel experience, but it was my first experience traveling alone. I am so grateful to have had this experience with myself. I met some wonderful people and saw a part of the world I may have never seen had I not took a leap of faith and booked a solo travel trip.
My second travel experience was my honeymoon with SL and this was my first long term (2+ weeks) travel experience.
SL and I took full advantage of seeing all the sights, taking in the culture, navigating public transportation and truly living the whole experience.
My Take on Vacation
Relaxation, drinks 😊, restaurants, sleeping in, not challenging myself and getting tan.
When I think of vacation I think of the cruises I have been on and spending time up at my camp in Maine. I don’t often take vacation days because, quite honestly, I get bored pretty quickly. I can spend a day here and there just doing nothing but the thought of taking a full week of vacation gives me anxiety.
Growing up, my family took vacations. We didn’t travel. We went on cruises and went to Disney and spent time at our summer camp in Maine – vacationing. When on our vacations, we didn’t explore, take in culture or seek out local cuisine.
In high school, I was scheduled to go on a trip to Spain with my classmates which I was very excited about. A few months before the trip, it was cancelled and I was devastated. My parents are pretty awesome and instead of telling my to suck it up, my mom booked a trip to Florida for myself, her and my sister. A vacation.
We had a blast and continued to go to the same part of Florida for a yearly girls trip for a while.
Why I Choose Travel vs Vacation
Why I choose travel vs vacation Click To TweetCurrently, I work a 9-5 desk job where I do not have unlimited days off. Nor do I have unlimited funds to take time off. When it comes to using my time wisely, I choose to travel vs. take vacation almost always.
After traveling to Asia on our honeymoon, I truly caught the travel bug. I want to see the world. I want to experience lifestyles and cultures that are drastically different from my own. I want to eat foods from a cart on the street that I could never find stateside.
I hope in the future, when SL and I are parents, that we can continue to travel with our family and teach our children to be adventurous, to challenge themselves and to love travel as much as SL and I do.
Thank you to Amanda for hosting Thinking Out Loud and letting me think out loud about my thoughts on travel vs vacation.
