RV travel and family vacations are very tricky to navigate. There is a very wide mix of expectations and decisions to be made. The ways that we see the definitions of words like “fun”, “rest”, “activity”, and “food” can totally change what the trip looks like.
What may be working at home totally flips on vacation. Suddenly people want to eat junk food, watch more or less TV, do long extensive walks or not move at all, do lots of reading or take a break from books and study.
The normal rhythm and routine have been tossed out the window, now everyone is fighting and annoyed. Breaking from our usual enviorment and schedules can be a wonderful thing for everyone. It can be a much needed reset and fill up our reserves for daily demands. Or it can be the opposite.
How do you define “fun”? [or maybe have it look like: FUN]
– What do you enjoy doing? Where do you like to go? Nature paths, city areas, museums, parks, resturants, homemade goodies or fast food?
How do you define “rest”? Or “activity”?
– What is relaxing to you? What is an activity level that you enjoy? How much exercise is too much? Do you want organized events to attend? Do you want to have no schedule and just make decisions in the moment?
How do you define “vacation food”?
– What kind of food do you want to eat within your budget? Are you going grocery shopping or fine dining? Do you hope to try local stuff or stick to your usual meals? What about snacks and extras?
This may seem like a lot of questions to ask all at once but I can guarantee that these are all getting answered by each individual during the trip at some point. Often they are areas for arguments and contention.
One person sees everyone sitting and watching a movie and gets annoyed that they should all be out on a walk. Or another person expects to save money in the budget by bringing food from home and the other feel robbed of important vacation memories by missing out on the local food trucks.
With each personality you add to your trip there is an adjustment to make for that person and their needs.
That is why we created our rule for travel.
Let everyone have their own trip.
Each person has rest, fun and activities that they enjoy. Let them do that as much as possible. Let the teen send photos to a friend, let the kids play a board game [or watch a movie], give mom a break to take a walk alone, allow for downtime for a variety of activities. Not every moment of vacation needs to be the same for everyone.
A hidden gem of a campground was Utah Lake State Park. We found it by mistake, but it ended up being a highlight of the trip. The first day we arrived we wandered around the shore of lake. There was a moment when I looked around at my family: Scott was balancing on boulders, Lara was content searching for heart-shaped rocks, Mary was taking pictures of plants, Kyle was tossing round rocks into the water, Jim stood looking out at the water, and I was walking the dog along the boardwalk path. We were together but each person was enjoying the moment in their own way. It was deeply satisfying and I took a mental picture to treasure.
When I first came across this idea of letting each person define their trip it was in a KYD podcast episode.
Living 24/7 with your spouse or family, peacefully – https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/111/
When we started going on RV trips regularly I had to let go of this false image in my head of all of us wanting to do the same thing every day, all day long. That is not how we live at home so I am not sure why I pictured that for our trips.
What mental images do you have of a “good trip”?
What expectations do you have that change how well a trip is going?
How do you explore a new area? What does adventure look like for you?
What goes smoothly at home can take on a fun twist during vacations. Cravings shift, TV time adjusts, and activities range from energetic hikes to laid-back lounging. This change from our regular routine might lead to disagreement at times. But hey, this break from the usual routine actually gives us a chance to recharge. It’s like hitting the reset button, getting us all pumped up for our daily routines once we’re back. However, just like any adventure, the results can be as diverse as the places we explore. Finding that sweet spot between trying new stuff and sticking to what’s cozy is a journey.
I hope that this post is helpful as you plan and think about your next adventure!
🧳Enjoy your vacation! – April
