by Tiffany Nowden
How many times have you returned from vacation and said "I need a vacation after my vacation"? Come on, raise your hand. I know I have.
So often we wait all year for this one vacation, and of course, we try to cram every activity possible into this one trip. How can we avoid fatigue and exhaustion, and still enjoy an memorable vacation?
1) What kind of vacation have you planned: Leisure, adventure, structured tour?
For some of us, this vacation will be the only one we get all year. This week or two can be so important to us, as we rely on this time to get revived and recharged.
Let's not ruin the purpose of this vacation by over planning. Get with your travel agent to determine what type of vacation will fit your budget. When you decide on your destination, discover what is unique to this area. What can I only experience here and nowhere else? Those are the activities/visits you want to plan while on your vacation. Your travel agent can schedule a tour, reserve jet skis, or get your rail tickets. You are working hard, so let your travel agent help with the details.
Getting there can be exhausting. When planning your itinerary, try to give yourself at least 8 hours, following your arrival, to get settled in, get a hearty meal, and plenty of rest. As you plan each day, consider travel time to each attraction and be sure to have a plan for meals and rest between each adventure. Additionally, give yourself about a day (if possible) to return to work. This will give you time to unpack, air out the house, pick up your pets, the mail, and a few groceries, if necessary.
2) Here's something I know most of us are guilty of: Don't start your vacation exhausted.
Our work and our families are very important to us. Often times when we are getting ready to leave our daily responsibilities for a week or longer, we tend to over prepare for our absence. At work, in addition to requesting the vacation time, give your colleagues ample notice of your vacation plans. Your boss usually is not the person that will be covering for you while you are on vacation. Ask for some support from a few of your coworkers, not just one person. Also, let your clients, and other teams with which you work, know that you are taking time off, and you would like to handle this task before your vacation, and that task upon your return.
If you will be away from your family/home responsibilities for a week or so, also consider asking for some help from friends or family. If you have pets, ask a friend to housesit, or ask their teenage son or daughter to drop by a couple of times a day to tend to and walk your pets. This is perfect if you are vacationing during the summer. If you are lucky enough to have a friend that loves your dog, they may be happy to have Fido for the week, and it may just cost you a really nice dinner, upon your return, where you can chat about your wonderful vacation.
Remember, there are lots of free services and gadgets out there, so you don't have to bother your neighbors. Submit a vacation stop for your mail at your local post office and with your newspaper delivery service, schedule your bill payments on vendor sites or on your banking site, install a timer for some of your interior lights to give the appearance of someone being home.
Your travel agent can give you some suggestions or referrals if you find yourself in need of some help before you leave.
3) Next, it is time to actually leave for your vacation.
Keep stress down by preparing a list of what you will need to pack a couple of weeks in advance. You don't want to have to run to the store the night before you leave for your trip to get sunblock and Dramamine. And you definitely don't want to have to buy this stuff at the airport or resort.
A day or two before you leave, confirm your car rental, hotel reservation, and check into your flight. This is a perfect task for your travel agent. She can handle this for you, and you can check all of this off your list at once. Make sure you are also set on airport transfers for your departure and your arrival. You never want to wait until the last minute for these services. Give this task to your travel agent and she will ensure the services are reserved and ready for you.
4) Be prepared, and stay fueled and hydrated
The thing we often put off is eating, especially when you are crunched for time. No matter how we plan, there are often unexpected events that can throw off the best laid plans.
We remember this when we are traveling with children, but the same concept applies to adults: Carry a snack. What's nice about food versus drink, is that we can actually bring food through airport security. Think of small items that are non-perishable and prepackaged or can be prepped days before your trip. Whole fruit and granola bars are perfect.
I love making trail mix for my family. Grab a can of mixed nuts, some dried cranberries and raisins and a bag of chocolate candies (with the hard shell) and you have trail mix for a boost of energy. You can also buy meat jerky, which is very high in protein. Snack crackers are also an easy choice that can be paired with dried meats, such as salami. When traveling by plane, be mindful of fellow passengers that may have food allergies. It might be best to save snacks with tree nuts for when you arrive at your destination.
Drink lots of water! We hear this all the time, but we don't usually think of this in cooler climates. Although you may be traveling to a cool destination, you will most likely be doing some walking or some other activity that may drain you. Staying hydrated will ease muscle fatigue and also help you feel full until your next meal.
Beverages cannot make it through airport security, unless you are traveling with small children and require baby formula or juice or water. These items will be inspected, but usually are allowed. Please review TSA guidelines for food and beverage items for children at www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children.
Remember, when you plan your trip, you should plan for meals and breaks, too. If your schedule changes, throw some snacks and bottled water in your day pack to ensure you have something to carry you through to your next meal.
Stay tuned for Part Two of A Healthy Traveler is a Happy Traveler.
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