Weekend Getaways Better

Why Weekend Getaways Can Be Better Than Extended Vacations

My first answer to this is that it is hard to clear my calendar for more than a couple of days, not to mention that the hubster has limited time off from work. 

And of course, Murphy loves me. So the more I plan trying to create the perfect vacation, the more things go wrong! Does this sound like how things work in your life? You plan and plan and something always seems to go wrong. And then there are the times where you are as spontaneous as you ever will be and everything but everything just simply falls into place.

Now I am not saying that this same principle doesn’t happen on those well planned weekend vacations but the up side is that you only have a couple of days invested and usually less money on the line when things tank.

But for the sake of arguments, planning an extended vacation is just that takes a lot of planning. Sometimes by the time you are done, you are experiencing vacation planning burnout. In addition, there is all the preparation you need to secure before going on vacation. Perhaps, you have a pet you need to secure, a home that needs looking after…and the list continues.

Ask any of my crew if at some point in the planning and preparing stage, I don’t stop and just say.. It’s not worth it! The amount of work it takes to clear my work schedule, cover my blogs, secure the house, vehicles, pets, mail, etc.. just isnt’ worth the time away from home. This doesn’t even cover the catch up work that will be waiting when I return home.

Another issue for extended vacations that I find a challenge is that I will not leave town with a dirty home. So in addition to preparing the trip, I have to get my house cleaned. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is more depressing for me than to come home after being gone for a couple of weeks to a dirty home. Once I left dishes in the dishwasher (yeah we loaded it but no one pressed the start button), and the trash patrol missed 2 cans under the sinks in the girls bathroom. Can you say take your breath away fumes when we opened the door?

It is fair for me to say that extended vacations can be wearisome and make me long for home before it is time to leave.

On the other hand, a weekend getaway takes a lot less planning and a lot less packing. You could probably get away with throwing a couple of things in a bag and just going with the flow on a weekend vacation.

In addition, the natural tendency on a weekend vacation is to enjoy and savor every moment because you know it is a short-lived vacation weekend getaway. You are traveling lighter, have less planning and have a lighter and happier attitude along the way.

Typically, extended vacations also tend to be the ones that are most traveled. You will more likely find more traffic, more tourists, and more crowds during extended stay vacations. During weekend getaways, you have so much more opportunity to find vacations off the beaten path.

I like to use weekend getaways as an opportunity to explore an area. Weekend trips are a time to relax and just have fun…knowing that nothing is going to get too far behind or stacked up. Think of it as a time to unplug and recharge.

Sometimes it is best to plan a weekend getaway as compared to a long, extended family vacation. You will find yourself returning refreshed and rejuvenated rather than harried and worn out to the point that you are in real need of another vacation to recover from the vacation.

Are you ready to blast off somewhere? Just make a list of all the places that you can be at within 4 hours of your home. Can’t decide? Print out our free printable and Create a Weekend Getaway Jar and write the places listed on strips of paper and place in the jar. When you have a weekend free, pull out one of the slips and grab your bag and go!

Depending on where you live, you might want to create a winter and a summer jar as some places and activities may not be available year round.