I just got back from a delightful little vacation with my family. We spent two nights in Niagara Falls, and I’m feeling relaxed and reinvigorated.
This got me thinking about writing this post. I want to capture what made this vacation so good for me so that I can replicate it in the future.
We’re all going to have different ways to make the most out of our vacations. But here are six ways that I think can turn a good vacation into a great one.
1. Use up your vacation days
Although I’m lucky to have a healthy amount of vacation days as a resident physician, I find it difficult to book time off. I’m not quite sure why; my program consistently encourages residents to use up their vacation days, and I love travelling and spending time with friends and family.
Even though I find it challenging, I’m making sure I book vacation time. One of the many reasons to do so is that it takes the pressure off of the vacation. The less vacation time I take, the more I want to cram everything I’ve been wanting to do into a shorter timeframe.
I learned this from experience.
As a newly graduated physiotherapist, I wanted to work as much as possible in order to pay off my student loans. And since I worked as a private contractor, I didn’t get paid time off. So, I worked a year without taking any vacation time.
Big mistake.
When I finally took time off, I planned a vacation that was so jam packed that I was exhausted by the time I returned to work.
Now, I spend some vacation days at home catching up on housework and relaxing, and other days traveling and exploring.
2. Know thyself
One of my very first posts was called How YOU Can Relax. The same tips apply to vacation!
Knowing what YOU need from time off is vital to coming back to work feeling refreshed. For some people, that may be lying on a beach reading the latest YA novel. For others, it might be a backpacking trip in Algonquin Park.
Don’t let anyone yuck your yum. Try to spend your time off doing what you want/need to do, rather than what you think other people would find acceptable or interesting.
3. If you travel somewhere, use an extra day to recuperate
Long gone are the days when I thought it was a good idea to catch a red eye flight and then work that same day.
Even though Niagara Falls is only a 90-minute drive away, I still took a day at the end of our trip to recuperate. Knowing that I had a day to prepare for the workweek ahead helped me to make the most of our trip.
4. Play within your means
Although this seems straightforward, it’s difficult to stay on budget with the rising prices of everything from hotels to flights to food.
We had initially planned to fly to Halifax with our time off. But between the cost of the flights, car rental, baby equipment rental, and boarding our dogs, it just wasn’t within our means to go back to Halifax right now.
Although I was disappointed, knowing our trip was within our budget helped me to enjoy our time more.
5. Surround yourself with the right people
It’s imperative to spend your precious time off with people who make you feel awesome. My parents joined us for a day in Niagara and it was lovely.
Along with knowing yourself, it’s helpful to know what kind of vacation your fellow travellers enjoy. If you love relaxing on the beach and take a trip with people who want to hike all day, it may lead to tension.
I suppose this tip applies to life in general; it's important to surround yourself with the right people for a happier life. And a more enjoyable vacation.
6. Prioritize convenience if possible
There’s a world of difference between a nonstop flight and a flight with a layover.
I aim to prioritize convenience within the constraints of our budget. For instance, my husband and I chose to go to Niagara Falls rather than Quebec City because the drive was shorter. It ended up being easier on all of us, especially our toddler who (understandably) doesn’t like to be restrained.
I hope these tips help you get back from vacation feeling refreshed and ready to dive back into day-to-day life. Please comment below if you have any vacation advice!
Stay well friends,
Dr. Kuhnow
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