Vacation - when was your last one?

[tbb113]

I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself. Everyone I know seems to be able to go on REAL vacations. You know the kind where you are away from home either at a resort, camping (if that is your style), not visiting family. The last REAL vacation I took was January 2001 to Hawaii. Great vacation, but just to long ago :(

Due to income limitations, school/work schedules, time the boys are at their father's house, I just don't seem to get away. I have taken time off...but days off running errands, chauffering kids, keeping appointments isn't a VACATION.

Please tell me I'm not the ONLY person who hasn't had a REAL vacation in years.....

Tyra

[Peggy C.]

Oh boy do I hear you! I'm in desperate need of a vaca myself.

My last real vacation...was in 2000. And only once in my life have a taken more than 1 week at a time. Ready....that was in like '87.:(

[wallycat]

We've been out west a few times checking out relocation spots.
Our last "real vacation" was to Nova Scotia a few years back.

[Kismet]

DH and I love to travel, and a vacation from our jobs feels like a MUST! So, our last vacation was to London, in February. We had a great time! I'm not sure where our next one will be, although we are thinking of going to Hawaii for my cousin's wedding in November.

[jjsooner73]

I had a 2 year span when I moved to Dallas where I traveled alot. Mostly to get away from Dallas (I'm not fond of it here).
My last real vacation was 2 weeks in Italy/Switzerland in Feb 2001. The last 3 days were spent alone, which was wonderful. I've wanted to do a solitary vacation ever since, but really haven't taken any, if you don't count visiting friends in Jacksonville for a weekend, or the 2 trips to Colorado to visit friends. The last of those was in Feb, and I stayed for 9 days. I was job hunting and helping friends move, so that hardly counts!
I'm single and can afford to, but just don't??? I guess I'm tired of the vacations w/ the girls. Now DBF and I are talking about going somewhere later this year, but I'm not sure where yet.

Oh, how could I forget. I did do a week of camp last summer-I took vacation from work and was a counselor at a children's cancer camp. I go back a week from tomorrow! Though it's exhausting (Sat-Sat), it at least rejuvenates my mind if not my body!!

[m4star]

My last real vacation was in September of 2002 when DH and I took a cruise to Alaska. In November of 2002 we had a family reunion but it was disastrous, so it doesn't count. ;)

Sadly, we've spent SOOO much money on vet pills recently that we won't be able to take a vacation in 2003. :(

[badunnin]

Are we talking about vacations where laptops and calculus and discrete math books aren't involved? I went to Vancouver last fall, but spent every evening and 2 days of sightseeing in the hotel with my nose in a book.

[kirkbyky]

It's been over 5 LOOOOOOOONNNNG years since our last 'real' vacation (Savannah, GA). DH and I are about to run off and join the circus, just to get out of town! We've taken time off since 5 yrs ago, but it's always filled with errands, fixing stuff, and just laying around exhausted.
I remember reading a thread recently about Greysangel going on vacay--DH and I wanna go! I can't decide to drool or cry over Emily in India or KValley in France (I know someone else also went to Ireland recently, but I've repressed it from jealousy:o :o :p ).
We're considering going to the gulf coast/panhandle of FLA (redneck riviera ;) ) this fall/winter to see bird migration, or possibly Mexico (that FAB thread of Greysangel's). Hopefully DH will have a permanent position that offers paid vacation.

<sigh> Soon. Very.

Kyle

[ranger roo]

sigh......I wish every day that I can go on vacation! My last real vacation was two years ago to visit a friend in amsterdam. Unfortuantely, my grandfather passed away a few days after I arrived, so it was obviously cut short by several days. That vacation was my first in years also so things aren't looking good for another one anytime soon! AND, sadly, my fiance seems to be allergic to the idea of vacations and thus refuses to go anywhere.....ever. hmph. how do I correct this before it is too late?! I may never get one again!

[tbb113]

Originally posted by badunnin
Are we talking about vacations where laptops and calculus and discrete math books aren't involved? I went to Vancouver last fall, but spent every evening and 2 days of sightseeing in the hotel with my nose in a book.

I've gotten to the point where I consider BUSINESS TRIPS a vacation. I'm staying in a hotel, I don't have my children and even better someone else pays for it all :D So, if you want to consider your trip to Vancouver a vacation, you can...but its not the type I meant ;)

Tyra

[stefania4]

I understand! Except for our honeymoon in May, the last time I took a vacation longer than a 3-day weekend was, um.... 1999.

I LIVE for my every-other-year Girl Trip with my college roommate. We do a weekend adventure vacation - rafting, caving, horses, whatever. I don't get to see her nearly often enough, and we go in election years when DH is in Campaign Hell.

[swquilts]

Hmmmmm....I think back in 1998 or 99, a trip to the Oregon coast in our travel trailer. *sigh* DH changed jobs twice in the last four years so he only had 1 week of vacation at each of them. I don't count the week I took off last year after we moved into our new house because I had workmen tromping through the place doing walk thru fixes.

We will probably be going to Mexico (Cabo San Lucas) in March with my folks who have a time share there. I'm counting the months, weeks and days!!

[tbb113]

Originally posted by ranger roo
AND, sadly, my fiance seems to be allergic to the idea of vacations and thus refuses to go anywhere.....ever. hmph. how do I correct this before it is too late?! I may never get one again!

I hate to sound negative...but are you SURE you want to live that way? If he doesn't want to go anywhere ever...how long will you be able to live like this? Unfortunately, people usually don't change...unless of course he doesn't vacation or travel because he really and truely can't afford it (and you agree he can't).

Tyra

[RunnerKim]

Vacation?? You mean something that doesn't involve quasi-obiligatory family visits? Hmmm, well my honeymoon was just over 6 years ago. Seriously I'm not sure I've had anything you'd call a true vacation since then. We get so little vacation time and it seems to all get eaten up visiting family since we don't live near either side. (or for maternity leave which was definitely NOT a vacation). I am tremendously looking forward to a week at the Oregon Coast with my mom, hopefully my grandparents and all my nephews and neice. Alas my DH just got a job and won't be able to go so that takes a lot of the enjoyment out of it. We do manage to do weekend camping trips. But we're both so frugal that the money vacations cost just don't seem worth it, we're finding we have to remember how important it is to visit family when we see the price of airplane tickets during the holidays!

Kim

[Melman]

I just came back. :D Well...it wasn't a whole week. School put a damper on that original plan. I thought my first session summer term ended the week before the 4th...and that the 2nd session started the week after the 4th. I had to wait to take my final exam Wednesday morning, but then my son and I headed to Pennsylvania until Sunday to see a friend....and a day-trip to see family.

I try really hard to go somewhere every year. We used to go to the beach every year with my family. I decided the beach stays the same regardless of how many time you go (sun, sand, fried foods, shopping, repeat.) A couple of years ago, we went with friends to see New England for a week. Last year, I flew up to see a friend in Mass (and a QUICK trip to Maine where I met slknight for about 10 minutes...I still hate it was such a short visit!!) This year was originally planned as another Maine trip, but a huge work project (plus school) has put a damper on that trip. I get a long weekend in Northern Virginia instead. No...not nearly the same deal, but at least I'll be away from work!! :D

I FINALLY graduate in May of next year. I'll have the first summer off in a gazillion years. Not only have I not taken much time off because of school, I've also managed to accrue almost 8 weeks of vacation time that will probably max out later this year. Next summer will hopefully be the beginning of lots of travel!!!

Tyra, it took my best friend more than 15 years of married life to realize that her hubby just did NOT travel!! It took another couple of years to convince her to leave him at home (use the pretend reason of 'having to stay with their dog') before she finally would take her own vacation. We finally started annual trips with my son and her daughter. It's worked out great. You made a very excellent point. They do not seem to change over the years.

[badunnin]

Originally posted by tbb113


I've gotten to the point where I consider BUSINESS TRIPS a vacation. I'm staying in a hotel, I don't have my children and even better someone else pays for it all :D So, if you want to consider your trip to Vancouver a vacation, you can...but its not the type I meant ;)

Tyra

LOL Tyra! When I planned the trip, I was working. In the meantime, I quit and went back to school, and it fell mid-semester. C'est la vie. Anyways, it's been a while for me. But, to be fair, when I lived in Germany, I was gone for almost 9 weeks straight - either visiting friends, or I had visitors that I was playing tourguide to. I've been back in the States 2 years now (*sob*). Almost every weekend I was gone someplace when I was there.

[ranger roo]

I hate to sound negative...but are you SURE you want to live that way? If he doesn't want to go anywhere ever...how long will you be able to live like this? Unfortunately, people usually don't change...unless of course he doesn't vacation or travel because he really and truely can't afford it (and you agree he can't).

believe me I wouldn't live like that. However, between three moves in two years, him switching jobs, and me starting law school this fall, we really and truly can't afford it financially or in terms of taking time away right now. But i can dream right?! :)

[tbb113]

Thanks all...it does make me feel better to know I'm not the only one!

Tyra

[boisewinesnob]

Summer of 2001 we all went to Las Vegas, Disneyland, and northern CA to visit DH's brothers and families. Last summer we went to Jackson, Wyo and Yellowstone for about 4 days and didn't visit any family!! This summer my 15-yr-old is playing baseball and we went to a tournament in Powell, Wyoming (middle of nowhere) for a few days. I wouldn't really call it a vacation, but it was kind of fun to spend so much time traveling with the other kids and parents :) . I felt like I really got to know the other parents better and we had a great time doing laundry together after 2 hours at the bar :eek:!
Baseball won't be over until the first week of August and then we are hoping to go to WA state in mid-August to visit family, but not for certain yet.

[colleency]

Um...we went to Disneyworld in 1996.

I've been on trips, but they were always in conjunction with working at conventions or visiting family.

But now we're going to England! Yay!