When I think of my ideal vacation, I imagine sandy beaches, oceanfront views, long, lazy days of reading, lounging, snacking by the water followed by candlelit, romantic feasts in the evening.
My husband has a very different picture in his head. He loves to explore new cities, drinking in the culture and the local beer. He wants to see everything that he can, to be immersed in a culture while he's there and then move on to the next.
This makes for some interesting travel for the two of us. For example, he thrived on a whirlwind 10-day trip that included Bruges, Belgium; Vienna, Austria; and Bled, Slovenia. Now all of those places are beautiful, yes. In my world, however, that would have been three separate vacations. Not one. My husband loved the excitement and adventure of it all. Me? Not so much.
I wound up sitting on the floor in a cold train station at 4:30 a.m. (silly me to expect that an "overnight" train only meant until the freaking break of dawn!), unable to buy even a cup of coffee because we didn't have the right currency, crying on my suitcase that I just wanted to go home. Luckily, that was the low point of the vacation and we really did end up having a nice time.
After a very frank discussion about what we both expect from our vacation time, we now take turns planning and really work to make sure that we're both getting what we need for our hard-earned time off. I know that I need downtime on my vacations. Time to read, maybe take a bath, treat myself to some really delish food that I wouldn't have at home...that kind of sensory stuff. My DH needs to explore, to have adventures, to learn about the town, people and culture.
We've done well with our compromises. Take our honeymoon, for example. Each morning we got up early and "did" something -- snorkeling, hiking, horseback riding and skeet shooting. The afternoons were spent at the pool or beach, snoozing, reading and snacking on treats. The perfect balance for both of us.
What about you? What's your vacation style? Are you a galavanting adventurer ready to explore new places or looking for a relaxing escape in a secluded, quiet place? Tell us about your favorite vacation.
