Before I get to my post, if you haven't already done so, be sure to enter my advance giveaway for a copy of EC Stilson's new book, The Golden Sky, being released November 18th! Click here for details.The lovely and talented Hopes of Staying Afloat was asked to select this week's Monday Listicles topic, and it's a good one! We're talking vacations today, and I couldn't be happier. I'd much rather think about travelling to some place other than here with snow on the way. Don't get me wrong, winter has a lot to offer, but I'd still sacrifice a large part of it for the chance to go someplace where I don't have to don a parka and chip my way out of my house with an ice scraper.
So, let's dream a little, shall we? Just a sec... Almost ready. Here we are! Margarita in hand, flip flops and body-flattering dress adorned, furnace blasting to create the illusion of summer, and... go!
Ten things that make a perfect vacation.
1. Time. My dream holidays is at least three weeks long - a month would be better. I leave my watch at home and let someone else take care of details like where I need to be and when I need to be there.
2. The Perfect Climate. It takes place somewhere warm (not too hot) and sunny with beautiful scenery. An ocean breeze wouldn't hurt.
3. Adventure! There are opportunities for horseback riding, hiking, biking, canoeing, sailing on a catamaran, snorkeling, exploring caves, zip-lining and the like.
4. Culture. I get to meet the locals and share in their customs, maybe learn a craft or a few new dance moves!
5. Family. My dream holiday involves my husband and my son and lots of fun too! I imagine wherever we go, we'd stop in at DisneyWorld for part of our tour.
6. Food! As source of pleasure, rather than anguish. I don't want to prepare it. Not one meal. I don't want to think about it. I don't even want to make choices about it. My perfect vacation would involve simply showing up and being served something fabulous, whenever I happen to be hungry.
7. Peace. There's an absence of whaaaan! I love my kid - don't get me wrong - but the perfect' vacation would contain NO WHINING. And significantly fewer why questions. And no toys to put away or leave aching scars in the middle of my feet when I step on them. Which brings me to #8
8. Sloth. There is no cleaning of any kind - not the bathroom, not the kitchen, not the clothes, not the kid, not the cat, and definitely not the back of my car.
9. R & R. There is plenty of opportunity to rest, to read, to snap some killer photos and to write.
10. Pampering. Lastly, my dream vacation includes frequent visits to the spa - massages, facials, pedicures, manicures. Ahhhh.
Ah, lovely. I love sightseeing, and I'm surprised not to see more of it in my list, but I guess that's just where I'm at. This tired mama needs the sounds, sights and smells of a tranquil beach!
What do you need to have the perfect vacay?
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Oh great. Now I'm supposed to just get on with my day without thinking about food and sarongs and that hammock on the beach?
ReplyDeleteHa! Sorry Jacqui. Just pull up one of my snowier posts and you'll be good to go!
ReplyDeleteI love how you do vacations! Especially the no whining and not toys part! Can't believe I didn't put that on my list. If I could have that, I wouldn't have to leave home! LOL
ReplyDeleteAh, yes Rory, that's the key to the perfect "staycation"! That and take-out food! :)
ReplyDeleteJust my kind of a beach holiday too. I totally want the no whining and not having to put toys away part especially, LOL!
ReplyDeleteI think you just described my perfect vacation! Oh, that first picture is just so awesome...I want to go there right now!
ReplyDeleteI can almost smell the sunscreen and taste the margarita. Hmm.
*sigh* This list has me wanting to just pack up and go to an island.
ReplyDeleteI like it. I also like you wearing flip flops and sipping fancy drink while writing a list. If food was brought to me I believe I would never leave the hammock...
ReplyDeleteYep, you and I could totally vacay together! Gorgeous photos.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine a three week vacation?! Ah... bliss.
Sloth...relaxation...pampering. Sounds wonderful! Especially because I'm sitting in an uncomfortable chair at a long, boring conference :)
ReplyDeleteYES! Food, R&R and pampering. That sounds like the perfect vacation to me!
ReplyDeleteMama J, it may be a dream, but it's a lovely dream, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteChristina, I want to go there right now and every day for the rest of my life!
Rach, me too! What are we waiting for?
Ah, the hammock. What's better than being stuck in one of them?
Tonya, I CAN imagine a three-week vacation! So? When do we leave? :)
Katie, long boring conferences are the perfect place to plan the perfect vacay!
Barbara, visiting France sounds like a pretty awesome vacation too!
I'm all about the pampering & the good food, perferably on the beach! Perfect list!
ReplyDeleteThat was just cruel. Those watering-mouth pictures just called for a vacay STAT.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I just said to myself "man, with those legs who wouldn't have a perfect vacation?" lol
www.mamaandthecity.com
Jackie, pampering + food + beach = Heaven, I think. Something to look forward to! ;)
ReplyDeleteSorry about that, Afrodita. :> It's a little bit of torture for me as well. Can't take credit for any of these photos, or those legs, but with enough of those pink drinks in me, I think everyone's legs would be lookin' irie to me!
A tranquil beach getaway sounds perfect!! And no whining on top of it? Can't get much better than that ;)
ReplyDeleteSLOTH! SLOTH! YES!
ReplyDeleteHere's to SLOTH, #8!
You are the only blogger who has mentioned its necessity when vacaying!
Yay!
Here's to sloth - a hugely underrated vacation pastime.
(-:
Love this list!
In perusing the lists it seems to me a lot of us moms have a lot of the same ideas!
ReplyDeleteIt does sound pretty wonderful, Jen. Realistic? I don't know. But it's a nice dream. :)
ReplyDeleteAdo, we feel such guilt over sloth - it's considered a sin by many - but I too feel it is underrated!
Too true, Jennifer. It seems we moms seriously need some peace and tranquility!
Your list contains a lot of things that I think make a perfect vacation, especially no whining and no cleaning of any kind.
ReplyDeleteSign me up! You and I are on the same page once again!
ReplyDeleteUgh, how I long to go on a tropical vacation to do all the lovely things you mentioned! The hammock on the beach sounds lovely right about now :P
ReplyDeleteWhat would make my vacay perfect - everything on this list! Ah, so nice to just lay back and be lazy! Wonderful list Sue :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like my kind of dream holiday too. Especially the spa part. I would love to be pampered on some amazing tropical island where all we'd need to worry about was what kind of drink to have, fish or shellfish for dinner, and which spa treatment to choose.
ReplyDeleteAgh, a girl can always dream, can't she?
"Ah, lovely" <----- exactly what I was thinking as I made my way through this list. Especially the cleaning the cat part. I really don't like to clean the cat on my vacations.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like we would make great travel buddies!
ReplyDeleteAmen to no whining and more writing!
ReplyDeleteLisa, that is why simply driving away from the whining and cleaning in hubby's pristine car is like a mini-vacation for me! :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda, great minds! Let's go!
Bruna, that hammock is calling my name!!
Thanks G! Laziness (without guilt) rules!
Brandee, it's a beautiful dream, isn't it? :)
Greta, I know, right? Particularly when the cat is supposed to be responsible for cleaning herself!
Bridget, it sounds like a lot of us moms could use this kind of vacation about now!
Amen June! :)
Seriously I want that vacation now! You couldn't have described a more perfect one. Those pics make me want to go to Bora Bora.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we could have a lovely vacation together! Seems we crave many of the same things :)
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I want that vacation right now too! It snowed here yesterday - so ready to get on that plane!
ReplyDeleteAlly, I saw your listicle and I believe you are right! So, when do we leave? Today? Please? :)
Can there possibly be kids involved AND no whining? Please tell me... if so, I have not experienced that yet :) Could be my kids ages though... OK, Come on - talk to me, at what age do they stop whining on vacation???
ReplyDeleteKate, I don't know that they ever really stop whining, but after a couple of those pink drinks I might stop caring. :)
ReplyDeleteI pick spa over sights every day of the week!
ReplyDeleteJamie, I love the spa too! :)
ReplyDelete