Vacation Anatomy part 1: the anticipation
I’ve been sitting here, staring at this computer for hours wondering what to blog about. From what I can find through google, most travel blogs are only for the duration of each person’s specific trip, so nobody has to write to fill the time in between vacations. That got me thinking: why? What is it about the “gap” days/months/years that fail to inspire bloggers? Granted, the most interesting part of any vacation is the time you’re actually on it, but the joy of travel is so much bigger than just the dates you book off from work that it deserves some attention, too. My Mom always told me that “every vacation comes in three parts: the anticipation, the actually going, and the talking about it afterwards”, and she’s right.
The anticipation is the longest and hardest to define part of every vacation, as it can take many forms. It starts with that first niggle at the back of your mind that you’d like to go somewhere, as, even before you’re actually planning anything, you’re already anticipating it. Watching that episode of Globe Trekker when they go to Brazil, or even seeing the Batchelorette go to Hawaii; hearing your friends talk about how much they loved Vegas; whatever it takes to get your travel motor running.
This then leads into the inevitable (and highly enjoyable) internet search phase. Depending on how research-centric you are this can take an hour or months before you decide “yep, this place has exactly what I’m looking for in a vacation” and you drop by to see me at work. I have tons of friends/clients who don’t do any research at all, they just decide to go someplace and book it, and on the flip side, there’s an equal amount of people who end up with that giant binder of yahoo printouts and know down to the second what they’re going to do. I’m somewhere in the middle. I like my research, knowing what the must-see sights are and exactly how to get there (on public transportation, if possible. Skytrains/subways/buses rock), and knowing all about my hotel and it’s location, but I’m not staying up nights obsessively googling.
And now you’re booked. Fully committed. Non-refundable. I love the feeling you get when your official tickets are in your hot little hands for the first time, it really hits home that “Holy crap, I’m going to _______!” This is awesome! I need a moneybelt!” This segues into the giddy phase, when just the mention of your destination (or travel in general) can cause you to drift away into daydreamland, a far away look in your eyes and a stupid grin on your face. Think of that TV commercial where the kid’s jumping on his bed wearing a snorkel as his parents book the tropical vacation. That too could be you! This is one of my favorite phases, as I love that happy, swimmy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Come to think of it, it’s a lot like prepping for date (but with more non-emotional baggage), you’re all excited, but you still have to remember everything you need to do/buy/take with you so you have the best time.
And before you know it all the days have been checked off on your calendar, you’re all packed, you’ve got someone watering your plants for you and it’s time to enter Stage 2…
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Thank you Holly for listening to your Mom. Thank you also for this site. I want to travel more and more and more.