The perfect vacation for me is a quiet vacation in a place where I can relax and set some order in my thoughts. I usually spend my vacation thinking about ways to improve my lifestyle and my productivity. Of course for that I need few days to switch off all my connections with the "real" world. And good time with the family always helps to remind us what's most important in our lives. We usually stop by Indiana airport hotels before heading to our favorite destination.

Unfortunately, I've really never been on vacation other than a few days to attend a wedding. Growing up, we had no car and never went on vacations. I hope someday this will change, but you should know that there are people like me who have just never been in a life situation that allowed a vacation. In fact, I didn't even go on a honeymoon.

Not sure exactly how vacations fit into a life, but I'd love to find out.

gr8! I love traveling in the vacations if it's long, otherwise i like to read or spending time with family.
Resorts in alibaug

Vacations are definitely needed with and without the kids in my perspective.

Going on our regular yearly family vacations, Disneyland and several camping trips to Morro Bay, CA seems to be stressful at times! To plan, shop, pack, and organize for myself and my 3 year old daughter.

We try to have 3-5 days a year without the kids, and travel to different cities; we have fell in love with San Francisco. We watch baseball games, shop, eat different foods, enjoy the beautiful city night life, sleep in (my favorite). We absolutely need this time to re-connect as a couple, we have the best stress free time.

This are my idea of a great vacation.

Paula –

The description of your lake house and the open and relaxed atmosphere you provide for friends and family members sounds wonderful. It reminds me of vacations that my husband and I have taken together, some with friends and family, others just by ourselves, yet each of them filled with unforgettable moments and great memories shared with loved ones. My idea of a “perfect vacation” has less to do with where I am, and more to do with who I’m with. My husband and I even joke sometimes that we would rather be in our house alone, no kids or animals to bother us, and that would be our idea of the perfect getaway! I think that at this point in my life, if I could design a dream vacation for myself, it would be a secluded beach house where my husband, children, and I could spend lazy days and nights just enjoying unscheduled time together. No phones, no television, no computers…just a beautiful wide beach, quaint town to walk into, and the luxury of being able to do whatever we want, whenever we want. I’m sure as my life changes, my idea of the ideal vacation will change as well, but for now, that would be pretty close to perfect.

Maybe this will inspire me to begin planning for the summer! Enjoy your holidays!

For me a great idea of a vacation. It is to travel during the year and to take holidays out of the country.

I love this free time,because it is the only moment that my boss is not telling me what to do... You travel with a positive energy, you can do it alone to get more involved with the local culture and develop your social skills. I like to go to a bar and share a coffee with local people and read the newspaper.

Besides, I like to travel with friends, it is incredible!!! Right now, I am traveling to Mexico and we have a lot of expectations, it will be my first time as a backpacker, I will enjoy it a lot. In the final trip we will spend christmas and new year in Playa del Carmen.

I agree with you about spendinge time with people who you feel comfortable with and who love each other.

Regards from Argentina!

Francquito.

I've always felt that vacation-time is the most enjoyable part of the year, so I strongly believe we should spend it doing the things we love most. For me they are: travelling to a place we like (and also the planning should be enjoyed), and once there, doing whatever we feel like doing each day: sleeping a lot, reading, visiting what calls our attention even if not in guidebooks, eating and drinking what we want as much as we want, listening to music, lying on a beach forever, and above all, sharing that time with those whose company we enjoy ...

My idea of a great vacation would be a place like Paris or Hawaii. The reason I particularly chose those places was because I had not been to Paris. I chose Hawaii because it is a place with warm weather where an individual wouldn't have to worry snow or floods. Although there can be typhoons and earthquakes in Hawaii, individuals usually don't hear much about it having those difficult weathers lately. It also depends on where the individual currently lives as to where they would prefer to go for a vacation. Although I have admiration for Washington in the Port Angeles area, it can rain a lot. But experiencing living in places as New Jersey, I prefer going to the West States for vacation or Canada because it doesn't really have 4 seasons and wouldn't get too warm or too snowy. I feel an ideal place would be a place you can rediscover things in life or things an individual will find profound amaze for. Going for vacation from a stressed environment to a place one can indulge themselves in what they prefer for a vacation should be fulfilling. A place you can enter into another world an individual felt didn't exist, then going back a better person to me would be an ideal vacation.

What do you think? What is your idea of a great vacation?

My ideal vacation is just my wife and myself. It does not matter where we go. I was in a hospital for nearly two years healing my wounds from Afghanistan. We have not yet been on vacation yet. My wife and I like going to see the ruins of the Mayans. In our past vacations, I like to have an agenda planned out. There is a lot to see, and not enough time to see it all. If we do plan a vacation with friends I think it is more hectic. Do to everyone want go to different places. Or want to eat at certain place. In addition, everyone has their own way of what they expect from their vacation. I have my wife select our vacations, and we go from there. Either with friends or just us two.

My idea of a great vacation? Beach, cocktails and friends!
There is a difference between going on a trip and taking a vacation. I've been fortunate enough to travel to some pretty cool places. I've been all over Europe, China, Thailand and Africa. These I would classify as trips and what amazing trips they were. But, a vacation is another story.
My idea of a great vacation is relaxing on the beach or poolside with a drink in my hand and good friends by my side. I want to sleep in and have no agenda but to get a tan.
When I go on trips I come home exhausted and needing time to relax before going back to work. When I go on vacation to places like Hawaii or Cabo San Lucas, I come home refreshed and recharged.

Dr. Paula,
You are so right, that everyone needs a mental break and incentive to look forward to a relaxing time. When I was younger, my parents would tell that they were planning a trip and my heart would skip beats with excitement of the anticipation. The idea that I would see and discover something new was all I needed. Plus, I always knew there would be joy of sharing that time with my family. I’m quite sure you have the similar feelings when you share time with your friends at your vacation home.

I have a friend who has recently offered to pay for my flight to South Africa next year. I would love to travel to where the Football World Cup was played. Just thinking about it now, blows my mind (it is that feeling of anticipation again). I use to sing in a choir, Vukani Mawethu that raised money against apartheid in South Africa. I was unable to join them when they traveled there; I choose to volunteer at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I am currently attending college, so a lot details will need to be worked out, but that would be my current ideal vacation

I can close my eyes and picture the perfect vacation for me. It would include a tropical beach, warm sunshine, and no noises accept the crashing waves and breeze flowing through the palm trees. Now if you throw in my husband and a delicious beverage, then it could not get any better. This has always been on the top of my list for vacations. I love that cliché question what or who would you take if you were stranded on a deserted island. I would take my husband, a radio and lip gloss (you always need a little lip gloss).

I am very aware of that personal over heat meter that we all have. And my meter has been flashing red for quite so time. Yet, life does not always allow you to take that most needed vacation. The surprising thing is that quiet and lazy weekend afternoon on the couch with my husband and two dogs can be a just what I need from time to time.

I am happy to say that finally I have planed and book the closest thing to my dream vacation that time and money will allow. My husband and I will be spending our birthdays on the beach in Porta Vallarta, Mexico. It will only be for a few days and we are rearranging or work schedule, but I could not think of a better way to spend my 30th birthday. Paradise here we come.

I saw a commercial that showed an energy bar over a gentleman's head. He arrives at the airport with three out of four bars over his head. He hails a cab and someone else takes his cab, leaving him with two out of four bars over his head. By the time the gentleman arrives at his hotel, his energy bar is exhausted. When the gentleman enters his hotel room and flops onto the bed, his energy is replenished.

That was such an excellent commercial to share with you!

That commercial is one that I can truly identify with on a daily basis, except for the fact that I need a full vacation along with that hotel room. Vacations are very important in order to break away from the daily stress that one endures. We all need to try hard to plan regular vacations or risk illness due to prolonged stress.

I agree that each of us has a meter that tells us it is time to take a vacation. Sometimes it is easy to ignore the meter, however, until the "needle" is in the red zone. I have a tendency to ignore the meter a bit too much. At times I am almost afraid to sit down and relax for fear that I will not be able (or want) to get back up!

I love to travel, although opportunities to do so are infrequent. Two years ago I was laid off. I decided to unwind and spend time with my kids while I decided what to do next. My kids and I drove across the country without much of an itinerary. We stopped when we wanted to stop. If we saw a park we wanted to visit, we did so. If we felt like staying a few days longer at a cabin on the lake, we did that too. I returned home three weeks later rested and relaxed. That three week vacation was the best part of the four months I was out of work.

Like Cassandra Arthur, I also love to spend time at Big Bear. In fact, I am heading there tomorrow for a week's vacation! Cassandra, I will send peaceful thoughts your way from the mountain.

I also agree that we all need vacations, with and without the children. I went on the perfect vacation with my kids in June. I took my three boys ages 11, 9, and 4 and we went with other family members. It was great. We stayed 4 days, which was just the right amount of time to do everything. The first day we just relaxed, we spent i day at California Adventure, and the other two day at DIsney. We had a blast.
Two weeks ago my family and our in-laws went camping. Fortunately this was the weekend my kids were with their dad, so I went alone. I didn't have to worry about packing clothes for the kids or packing kiddie snacks. I went and relaxed and had a great time. In order for all of us, kids and parents, we all need a little R&R.

I completely agree that vacations are a great way to prevent burnout. I stay at home with our two children. As much as I love what I do, it does get tiresome. My husband is military and is gone a lot with his job, so I have to pick up a lot of the roles he would normally do. Mow the yard, get things fixed around the house, get the cars fixed, remember to take out the trash, etc. It would be amazing to have time with just us as a family and just the two of us would be even better.

I would first have to make sure that all expenses were all ready paid. That way we would never have to think about the cost. That is a huge stress for my husband, even if we have the money, he'll say no because he feels it could be cheaper somewhere else. Then it takes the fun out of the vacation.

I would absolutely love to just sit and do nothing, maybe get a massage. No distractions, no cell phones, no email. Go to some place scenic and peaceful. It could be a topical island, or a cabin in the mountains, I'm not picky.

I would prefer it to be a place where everything was catered to me, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No cooking or cleaning. No schedules to adhere to, just the a nice wonderful place to rid all the challenges faced on a daily basis.

That would be a great vacation!

I agree with the fact that we all have personal meters that let us know when it is time to shut down. It seems as though life is always so busy, busy and no one makes the time to slow down and take time out for oneself. I am the type of person who is always on the go until I get sick. The only time that I slow down is when I am forced to do so by seasonal colds/flu. I am trying to make the necessary changes in my schedule to slow it down and take more vacations.

My idea of a great vacation is taking the children and going up to the mountains in Big Bear, CA and renting a cabin in the winter when it is nice and chilly outside. No cellular phones to interrupt the vacation, and no laptop computers to distract us. We would keep the television off and create our own entertainment with board games and perhaps a game or two of charades.

Cabins have fireplaces, so we would be sure to keep a nice and big roaring fire going. During the day, we could walk around the village areas and visit the local shops and maybe catch a movie at one of the local theaters. At night, we could prepare dinner in the cabin and sit around the fire as we eat nice bowls of hearty soup to keep us warm throughout the night.

The mountains are a place to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle. A place where my family can enjoy one another's company as a family is much needed, and as I type these words on the screen, I want so very much to plan this very trip for the upcoming winter. I think I just may have to do that!

That is my idea of a great vacation!

Cassandra

Very nice post! I agree that great vacations are 100% individually determined. My idea of a great vacation is a vacation to the beach. But more importantly a great vacation is determined by cost. Great vacation = cheap vacation