Can anyone help me with a problem?? Half empty vs. half full!

[PKK/MJK]

It is nice to know that other people get depressed like this too. I thought I was the only one. When we go for two weeks, I'm fine until about Tuesday of the second week and then it hits. I guess we all look forward to our vacations so much, the thought of them being over so quickly is a real "downer."

 

[TriciaT]

The best part of my vacation is the month before we leave. I love the planning and anticipation. I almost dread vacation day coming and am already depressed by the time I get there, knowing that it will end soon. Isn't that terrible?

Hopefully now that I know we'll be there every year for the next 41, I'll be able to just relax and enjoy.

 

[Lisa P.]

I don't know if this will make sense to anyone. I used to be like that... very aware of how many days were left. If it was before the halfway mark on the trip, I was happy. If it was past the halfway mark, I felt the disappointment creeping in. Around the mid-point, it was the norm for us to add a day to the end, just to please me.

It's so different these days though. Along with a tiny bit of sadness at the end of vacations, I actually feel rather relieved to be returning home most of the time. Three things have changed:

1. More frequent jaunts. We've taken at least two annual weeklongs annually plus quite a lot of close-to-home weekends away. Our home routine is appreciated more when we are away on a fairly regular basis, even if it's for camping weekends.

2. Fewer chores afterward. I always thoroughly clean the house before we leave. We do laundry while away so there won't be a huge heap o'dirty duds to wash. And our first night home, we always have take-out pizza or Chinese. Returning home to a nice, clean, comfortable home with few chores to do makes the return home more pleasant.

3. Less time in planning vacations. I have much less time available to plan our trips than I used to. I want "just the facts, ma'am!" so that I can avoid major pitfalls and/or see the key highlights. Other than that, we look forward to fun surprises and try to just go with it. Having less time and energy invested reduces the letdown when the trip seems to move along so quickly or when things don't go perfectly.

Hope that makes sense to someone. Vacations are terrific. But they are actually such a small part of life that I can't put too much emphasis on them without their taking on an inordinate importance. That's just me, I guess.

 

[chicago641]

I used to feel the same way,but I found a cure that works for me.I start to make early plans for the next trip even if it is just planning the date.This really helps me.

 

[one_cat]

I am like that too. We spent the last night of our last 4 night vacation at Victoria and Alberts which was fun, but... It would have been more fun if we had done it the first night of our vacation. As it was I didn't enjoy the dinner so much because I knew that once it was over our vacation was over I won't do that again. From now on all planned activities will be done at the beginning of the vacation and the last full day can be used for relaxing by the pool or - whatever...

 

[Olaf]

I do the exact same thing. It's nice to know I'm not the only nut around here. Our 9 day trip in Mar was fun, but somewhat exhausting and I worried about everything throughout the entire trip. We had to drive three hours to the airport and I was terrified that our car would have problems, worried about parking the van, worried about the planes being late (which they were). By the time we actually got to WDW my stomach was in knots. It made my dinner that night at Chef Mickey's miserable. Of course, a few days into it, I got into dumps about it being over.

I'm planning a trip in September, WDW three days, Disney Magic three days. I'm determined that this be a relaxing trip. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[kamgen]

Thanks to everyone for posting here!
Dh and I just booked a 3 night cruise for September 19, so that is exciting!! I will test my new "power of positivity" then!! It is nice to know others feel like I do! We are trying to add some days on at HH then too! (waitlisted)

thanks again !

 

[princess angel]

Hi Kamgen!!!
this is a great thread!!! I think just sharing our feelings on the DIS w/eachother may help!!!
I'm the same way! I plan, plan, plan, can't stop anticipating, spend way too much time on these boards, talk about the upcoming trip to dh everynight... I am always so excited and anxious for our next trip, that when we finally get to wdw I'm still excited, but very aware of how many days are left!
like someone else said, I'm totally happy til the midway point! then I really start thinking how many days left, and I don't want to got back to the rat race of everyday life - not htat life is bad, it's actually pretty damn goo, but it is not the fantasy and magic of WDW!!!

I ALWAYS have the next trip planned before we even go on the most current one, so I always know when exactly we will be returning, and lately the trips have been becoming more and more frequent, this does help, cause I know we'll be back soon! but I also find myself doing the "oh no, this could be my last dole whip!", instead of "isn't his dole whip awesome!!!"
it's depressing!

we all need to lighten up! we love wdw so much, that we should really learn to relax throughout the entire trip!!!
let's all make a pact to really try to LIVE FOR THE MOMENT!!! (and the magic!!!)

or... we can start a wdw annonymous group!!!
LOL!

Laura

 

[kamgen]

Thanks Laura!
It does help knowing when we are returning. Still, I always wish it were longer.

The other night my wonderful husband put the Millenium CD on and we cuddled on the couch listening to it. He said, "when are we going back?"
I said, "tomorrow if you want to!"

It is so nice to share my love of Disney with my dh!

 

[princess angel]

It certainly is wonderful to be able to share the love for disney w/your dh!!! he loves it as much as I do, it's wonderful!!!
we just spent 2 weeks in WDW, (april 28 - may 12) and he was more upset than I was the last couple of days before we came home!!!
we listen to disney CD's everynight at dinner!!! LOL! I know it's a little much, but we can't help it!!!

Laura

 

[kamgen]

Nothing wrong with that, Laura! We listen to the soundtrack to La Nouba at dinner sometimes. It reminds us of our WDW trip and when we saw Cirque de Soleil!
My dh is wonderful, just last month he bought us some VWL points. Now we can go more!! Yeah!

It is great to know there are other "nuts" out there, just like me and my dh! He posts on the boards here sometimes too! We are so funny, our families think we are crazy! Especially when we tell them how much we want to go again and again and again!

 

[tarzanman]

I am going to try to break my DW of the habit but she might be a lost cause. We will just have to go more I guess.

 

[msdis]

Gee, I thought we were the only ones who acted like that. We usually go eight nights since the travel down day is a waste it is tecnically 7 days, right? Usually after the first 2 days which are usually comando days we are like "hey, we've only been here 2 days", the relaxation sets in, and then it's "oh no, we leave in only 2 days" and that's when the sadness and depression sets in and how can we cram all that's left we want to do in. One thing I ALWAYS left for the end of the trip was shopping at DTD. It was like a mad rush to do my shopping at the last minute. I even went down the night before we left one trip till midnight. Now I go down after a few days and get "all" my shopping done and if there is an item I'm debating on I can quickly run back down. Whew, that let's a lot of the pressure off. I too, have to have my next trip planned before we get to the current one. It always makes leaving again easier. Also, as many trips as we've planned I always get SO hyped up over it. Like we've never been there and will never be going back again. Definately ocd. (obsesive compulsive disorder). My DH lives, dreams, breathes, sleeps and talks about cars. For me, it's you guessed it, Disney. Everything, everything everything , I can find a way to relate it to Disney. Has anyone seen the Ford commercial that sounds just like test track? People either think I'm nuts because of it or would like me to shut up. It's totally awesome to meet someone who has been to and loves the mouse and LIKES talking about it.

 

[kamgen]

I love you all!

 

[princess angel]

that's sweet Kamgen!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all too!!!!!!!

It's so great having all of you to share with!!!
yes, I can share w/my dh, cause he loves it too, but I try not to talk about it tooooo much w/family cause they all think we're NUTS for going to WDW so much, and how obsessed I am!!!!!!!!! (they don't know what they're missing!!!! )

happy to be able to talk to you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laura

 

[DVCKaren]

I replied earlier in this thread, but I it is so nice to know DH and I aren't the only Disney obsessed couple! LOL! I will definately have to try some of these techniques next year when we go......hopefully I can relax more then and not worry that there is only 3 days left!! LOL!!!