Have you ever found yourself in a position where you are going on vacation with a bunch of people, and you’re the only one who knows anything about the destination? No? Well, I have. I find myself in the unique situation of living in a vacation-destination, ie, Hawaii, and am about to have 26 people fly out to see me graduate. I am beyond excited to see my family, and am looking forward to playing tourist for a few days. However, planning a trip with that many people involved can be messy and complicated, so here are a few tips to make sure that your next vacation is as successful as mine hopefully will be.
1. Pick out activities in advance
Vacations are about relaxing, but also having wonderful and unique experiences. As I thought about all of the fun things there are to do on my little island, I had to sit down and think about which things were really important and which things maybe didn’t need to be crammed into a 6-day trip. Making a list of the things I for sure wanted to do and a list of the things that we could do if we felt like it or if there was extra time, helped me feel more in control, as well as made me feel capable of providing a fun experience for my family and myself.
2. Plan some things, but not everything
There is a fine line with any vacation – do too little, and you may leave feeling unfulfilled. Do too much, and your vacation will leave you so exhausted that you’ll need a vacation to recover from your vacation. Pick out a few things (depending on the length of your trip) to pre-pay or pre-plan for, and build the rest of the schedule around that. Make a dinner reservation for one night, and schedule one excursion in an afternoon that you will stick too no matter what. Then, with the rest of your activities, plan them as you go depending on what you feel like doing that day.
3. Stress about the things you can control, not the things you can’t
Planning is stressful! But, it’s pretty much impossible to control everything down to the details, especially when there’s a lot of people involved. By focusing on all the fun and activities that you worked so hard to coordinate, it will be easier to shrug off the inevitable crises or when something doesn’t go exactly as planned.
4. FOOD
The most important part of any vacation is FOOD. If you are hosting, make sure you take your friends/family to all of your favorite local spots, or if you’re visiting, check out online reviews to find out where the locals go. My family will be treated to all of the best secret snow cone places on the island!
5. Have fun!!
Remember, vacations are supposed to be fun! Take a step back every once in a while from working to make sure everyone else is having a good time, and make sure YOU are having a good time! After all, this is your vacation and you deserve it!