Vacations: Relaxing or Adventurous?
Humid morning in the Cayo District (Belize) jungle as we began our three-hour trek into Guatemala to hike Tikal. December 2012.
Two people recently asked me:
“Which do you prefer more? Relaxing vacations or adventure trips?”
As a youngster, I liked adventurous vacations best. Without any stress beyond the normal social anxieties of growing up and coming of age—papers to write, how my clothes looked, did that guy like me, how could I lose weight, would my report please my boss—I wanted a trip to include excitement and the thrill of the new:
Let’s take an unplanned road trip and see where we end up!
Let’s jaunt to Greece with no hotel reservations or agenda and see what happens!
Let’s go to Russia and tour its entire western half in a handful of weeks!
These days, I prefer relaxing vacations.
The constant stress, pressure, and nonstop work schedule of entrepreneurship—not to mention the adult anxieties of health conundrums, financial planning and management, sudden and protracted dramas among friends and family—have changed the meaning of “escape” to signify
worrying about nothing (let someone else take care of everything for me, please),
general pampering. (Massages, anyone?)
But I do still like adventures on occasion. My recent trip to Belize—trekking across the Guatemalan border to hike Tikal and all-day caving to see Mayan ritual-sacrifice sites—qualifies.
Perhaps when I’m older and less stressed with striving, the preference scales will tip back toward adventure vacations. When a youth on a trek, I saw a fair share of retirees. One day, I may be one of them.
What’s your favorite vacation type?