Ask anybody, I’m one of those people who enjoys travel planning, and end up packing each day with things to do.
I would want to sight-see, eat lunch at a place I checked out on Yelp, then go see a live music performances in a consecutive four hours of activity. I would constantly check my watch to see what’s next on my itinerary.
If this sounds familiar, raise your hand.
I mean, I try not to plan every single second of the trip, but I just get so excited that I want to do everything with every second of travel.
But if you’re anything like me, then doing activity one day after another can get overwhelming very quickly. This is especially true in the case of me planning several outings in the same day.
You do things up to the point where it doesn’t feel like vacation any more.
… Not only that…
When you travel with other people (like my boyfriend), things are not going to be on schedule all the time.
The bus is late. There is traffic. The event is longer than expected. Someone has a sudden emergency. The weather is doing its own thing. It goes on.
I’ve planned and planned trips around the world, and we have missed so many of those heavily planned days because it simply doesn’t always work out.
How to Save Yourself
In situations like these, it is important to realize that everything will be okay. There’s nothing that needs to be done while your on vacation.
First. Don’t be like me. Don’t pack everything you want to do in all seven days of vacation. Leave a day or two free to just do anything that catches your fancy, spontaneity is half the fun. If you’re not a spontaneous person, then at least leave several of your mornings or nights free to kick back and relax.
Second. Realize that you stressing out makes it less enjoyable for everyone else. Nobody likes being rushed. Plan with plenty of time to spare in between to get ready. If you can’t relax and chill, group travel probably not for you.
Third. Always be ready for your plan to fail. Have one or two thing that you have to do (like going to a Queen + Adam Lambert concert), and plan for that.
Fourth. Wander around. You’ll definitely find something worthy of spending time to do.
Isn’t it the plan to spend time relaxing and pampering yourself anyway?