Vacations. The mere word gets all excited. Where shall we go?! The beach? The mountains? Paris?!! We start creating these wonderful fantasies about how perfect it will be. The weather will be the right temperature, and it would not even consider raining on us! The entire family will get along beautifully. We will not get lost. And the whole thing will cost us next to nothing even though we will stay in an incredible hotel!

So let’s discuss reality. You will overdo while we are on vacation, either with food, or drink, or sun, or activities, or buying things. This will make you crabby. You will forget to pack something. This will also make you crabby. The hotel will not be what it was described as on the Internet. Your child will want to do one activity. Your spouse will want to another. You will want to do neither. You will get crabbier.

Vacation, like the rest of life, rarely goes the way that we imagine it. Nor do we ever look like those models in the publicity pictures for the vacation spot when we look at our pictures. Life is not picture perfect. Neither are vacations.

The key is to have realistic expectations and then enjoy whatever happens. It rained? But it was getting so hot that it cooled us all off! We got lost? But we discovered an amazing café which had the best lattes! No matter what happens, challenge yourself to see the silver lining.  Have the whole family pitch in to plan the vacation so that everyone gets something that they like on the trip. The rule, of course, is that everyone has to put on a happy face when doing someone else’s choice.

Vacations can be good. They do not have to end in disaster. Enjoy your time off from your normal schedule. Enjoy exploring. Enjoy the journey!