For a while now I've talked about wanting to write a book. I've had several ideas all focused around my career. I finally got smart, and realized that the best story to tell is my own. My hope is to share my travel experiences with others to inspire them to make their own lasting memories.
What is it that makes travel memorable? For me, it is the adventure. I learned early on, that when I travel, I have to let things happen on their own. We've all seen Clark Griswald try to plan the perfect vacation. While his antics are funny, I always seem to pay attention to the looks on his family members' faces. The look of confusion, exhaustion, and annoyance. Granted, I do like to have a general idea of what we will be experiencing each day, but planning every detail to the minute is exhausting. Here are some tips to help.
1. Let others add input - Summer is a big time for my family to travel. Everyone in the family is off for summer vacation. When we plan out our summer, my wife and I want to know what our kids want to do. Last year, my son decided he wanted to go to a water park for his birthday. Knowing we were going to San Antonio to visit family, we were able to add a day at Schlitterbahn for the little guy's birthday. After a full day of water slides, tubes, trying to find my sunglasses after falling off my tube, everyone was exhausted. It was a good exhaustion. That exhaustion you get that makes you want to do the whole thing over again. Asking for other's input can be easily done for any portion of a vacation. We even rotate who picks where we are eating. The input from family members also allows for everyone to have a chance to decide what we do.
2. Have a goal for each day of your trip - This can be as simple as just arriving at your destination. Having a single goal for each day allows you to fit other things into your plans. I always hear people say, "I need a vacation from my vacation." My wife and I have even said the same thing to each other. Looking back, I think it's because we did not identify what we wanted for each day. When you create your goal, be sure that your goal can be accomplished in a single day. We are big road trippers. For two reasons really. One is that airfare is expensive for four people. The other is that for us, the actual trip is just as fun as the destination. Right now, we are planning a trip to Walt Disney World. We know we are going to drive. Being an avid Disney fan, I want to get there as soon as possible. 15 hours door to door is what I told my wife when we decided we were going to go. We can make it in a single day. I was quickly reminded by her that yes, we could drive 15 hours straight, but with two little ones 15 hours will quickly turn into 18 by the time we figure in bathroom and meal breaks. Thanks to her, we were able to decide on our goals for day 1 and day 2. Day 1, plan to get to Mississippi. Day 2, arrive at the happiest place on earth.
3. Meet the needs of each person - Trying to make everyone happy every moment of a vacation is difficult. When family is together day in and day out, sometimes a little break from each other is necessary, allowing each person to experience the vacation in their own way. For this reason, I recommend dividing into smaller groups for a short period. Last year at the water park, my daughter was too little to ride all the slides my son could. Rather than keep my son in the area my daughter could experience, my wife and I divided and conquered. There were times she was with our daughter and I was with our son. There were times we were all together, and there were times I was with my daughter and she was with my son. The best part was that we all got to experience something a little different when we changed our activity partner.
While I don't pretend to know everything, I do like to think that I learn something new from my family every time we are together. If you and your family need help planning your next family vacation, contact My Travel Pros. My Travel Pros can help you design trips to Disney, Sea World, family cruises, and more.
