Vacation Planning

When I was young my family rarely went on vacation. I can name the three vacations we did take in our lifetime. Disney, an RV trip to Ohio to visit family, and a house boat trip up Lake Champlain. All three of these vacations deserve their own post at a later date. The reason we didn't go on yearly vacations was due to money. Summers were spent at the town pool, and winters were spent sledding down our front lawn, which was the perfect sledding hill.

Do I feel like I missed out ? Yes a bit. I started to travel and vacation after I graduated college and it was amazing to see the world.  I also heard about how other families did ski vacations and had beach houses. Some families visited the Grand Canyon, others spent time in Hilton Head. So now as an adult with my own family we have to make our choices in vacation planning.

What I am learning is it is not just about the money. We are the type of the family that will make a vacation a priority. The problem is, where and when do you vacation. We live 10 minutes from the beach, and belong to a pricey beach club. Why would we take a summer vacation to another beach town ?  I do want my children to see different towns, states, cities and countries. However, adding to the summer dilemma is the fact that my in laws have a beautiful home out on Long Island , and we like to take a week there to be with the entire family. With my husband only getting a few weeks for vacation, we already have a week that is dedicated to family.

Recently I have talked with my friends about their vacation plans. One friend's in laws do a week away with the entire family every 3 years. Her folks try to plan a summer week away every year. She feels the pressure of trying to always be with her family each summer for that week, but she is realizing it is taking away from her immediate family and any vacation they want to do on their own.

There are so many places I want to travel, so many places I want my kids to see. However, the minute I start the thought process of planning the vacation I freeze up. Between the timing, and family obligations, the staycation is what winds up happening.

This is an original post for New Jersey Moms Blog. Fiona Charles is a pen name. Check her out over at mommyvents.