How to Slow Down on Vacation for People Who Move Fast

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this year my travel schedule has been greatly reduced, especially compared to last year when my husband and i traveled to all 7 continents. i do miss traveling but i will also say that traveling while pregnant is not the most fun i have ever had either.

i am pleased to present a guest post by kacey from the drifter collective about how to slow down on vacation for people who move fast. i am married to one of these fine people and she has great tips for how to do this!


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It seems like every family has at least one rusher.

You know the type I mean. They’re always looking 20 steps ahead, never enjoying the activity or people (or lack thereof) in front of them because they’re always racing (mentally or physically or both) on to the next thing.

Perhaps you’re the rusher. Or it could be your husband. Maybe it’s the kids. Or maybe it’s all of you. Whatever the ratio, rushers tend to need a little extra help when vacation time rolls around. Without helpful reminders to slow down and smell the roses, rushers are likely to continue to move at top speed through vacation. And, with the right amount of agitation and speed, they run risk of dragging non-rushers right along with them.

Are you (or is someone you love) a rusher? Here are five tips to help them slow down and get the most out of vacation:

1) Make Planning a Group Effort

No matter the size (or speed) of your family, sharing the vacation planning is key to vacation success.

Planning together means everyone has input to things they’d like to see or do. It also gives everyone the opportunity to understand what parts of the vacation are important to others.

A large part of planning together is communicating expectations, so everyone is on the same page. For kids, it may help to emphasize that it’s important to take your time and cherish every moment. It’s tempting to rush through or wish away the time between your destination or activity choices, but it’s important to learn to appreciate moments and experiences for what they mean to others.

No kids? No worries. A reminder to slow down and let your spouse enjoy themselves is important too.

2) Try a Staycation

A staycation has a lot of perks:

  • Chance to have fun and explore your home city/county/state
  • Lots of fun for less money
  • Eliminate travel days and gain more true vacation time
  • No frantic rushes to meet the plane, train, bus, shuttle, etc.

That last point alone is enough to help anyone slow down. When you start, continue and end your vacation in a constant state of will-we-be-on-time for our crowded, expensive transportation, it’s no wonder that your whole vacation seems rushed.

If staying in your home for your staycation puts you at risk of tackling chores instead of relaxing, use the travel money you saved to spring for a fancy hotel or relaxing B&B.

3) Make Decisions in Advance

Like rushing to meet transportation, worrying about logistics keeps you fretting over the future instead of enjoying the here and now.

While it’s important not to over plan your vacation, it’s problematic to leave everything to chance. You don’t want to reach your destination and find that a major event has locked down all lodging options for 50 miles.

If nothing else, book your accommodations and tickets to any event you’re worried might sell out (theater productions, sporting events, concerts).

Booking rooms in advance helps twofold: you can get a better room for a lower price and you eliminate stress that would keep you from enjoying your getaway.

4) Try a Road Trip

Planning ahead has its place, but so does spontaneity. Not sure how to combine the two? Give a road trip a try.

A road trip gives you the best of all possible worlds. You’re in the driver’s seat, so you can say sayonara to TSA lines and flight delays. Instead, you get to decide your pace and your route. Chart your own course or choose from a number of classic routes.

You can plan your route and book lodging and big events, but you can also leave days where all you have to do is get from point A to point B. That gives you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and stop at any site, restaurant, oddity or view that that catches your fancy. Building in breathing room can help rushers take their eyes off the clock and take a break.

5) Unplug to Unwind

A vacation spent glued to your gadgets is no vacation at all.

Before you embark, make the decision to unplug responsibly:

  • Let coworkers know you’re only available for DEFCON 1 level crises
  • Set up out-of-office replies
  • Turn off notifications or log out entirely
  • Only check messages once or twice a day
  • Leave unnecessary electronics at home

Sometimes our rush is more mental than physical. Constantly checking messages or dwelling on the work waiting at the office can cause you to fret away your vacation instead of enjoying it. Unplugging helps rushers slow down and focus on the present vacation instead of future work.

Of course, there’s always something to be said for a personal touch. Tips and lists are all well and good, but you know the treats and tricks that help you or your loved one slow down. Is it a glass or wine? A massage? A crossword puzzle? A favorite snack? Don’t leave your relaxation strategies at home! Make the most of your vacation by making time for the little things that relax you.

Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for “The Drifter Collective.” Throughout her life, she has found excitement in the world around her. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations, cultures, and styles, while communicating these endeavors through her passion for writing and expression. Her love for the world around her is portrayed through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts.

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The Drifter Collective: An eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us.

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2 Comments

  1. Audrey

    September 14, 2016 at 8:24 am

    Woof. I’m in the rusher in our life/during vacations 😉 My husband pointed it out to me during our first married non-honeymoon-vaca together. I’ve been working on it ever since!
    I’m a planner and for me that means scheduling downtime for my husband. Since I’m a busybody I take this time to read or catch up on blogging or research our next activity- and he gets to watch TV or nap or whatever. We’re doing Disney next year so I need to really get the go vs. chill flow under control soon! Haha!
    Audrey recently posted…Fall Fall Fall

  2. Elyse @ Just Murrayed

    September 14, 2016 at 8:29 am

    Great tips!

    I’m a person who moves really, really fast on vacations, always wanting to get to the next thing. I’d like to think it’s genetic since my mom does the same thing…Staycations are perfect for us, because like you said, there really is nothing to worry about. I don’t have to worry about missing something exciting like a museum or a plane or train.