Do you consider visiting family to be a vacation?

[Katy Belle]

I've always called trips to visit family "trips" not vacations. I enjoy visiting our families, but its no vacation

 

[AndreaDM]

I've always called trips to visit family "trips" not vacations. I enjoy visiting our families, but its no vacation

This. We live in Ohio, in-laws live in upstate NY and going there is not a vacation, it's a few days filled with pre-planned dinners, visits with relatives and basically doing whatever MIL says we are going to do. It's not that we feel it's an obligation, but it's EXHAUSTING! We do get the guilt trips if we haven't been there for a while, or god forbid, use our vacation time to go to Disney, but I've decided not to let it bother me anymore. Funny thing too, it seems like the road from NY to OH doesn't work as well as going from OH to NY. They haven't been in our home for over a year and a half even though they're only 6 hours away. I think that's more frustrating than anything, us always expected to drop whatever and come there for the weekend for every wedding, baby shower, bridal shower, someone having surgery, birthday parties, retirement parties...it never stops!

However, my brother and family recently moved to Colorado so we do plan to visit there soon, but will make it a real vacation, staying at a hotel or condo. We will visit them them, have some meals together, but we won't be under the same roof 24/7, so I think it will work out great. Plus, DH has always wanted to go fly fishing out there so this is the perfect reason to go.

 

[AndreaDM]

If you leave your house and it costs you money then it is a vacation. Sounds like you have more family issues. I would never go see ppl I didn't want to see no matter who it bothered.

This doesn't even make sense! I have had vacations that were free and I've left my house plenty to spend money where it wasn't a vacation.

 

[brookmey]

I am currently in MI with my kids visiting my family (we live in TX) and I don't consider it a vacation. We're doing fun things and my kids are loving being here, but for me it's not relaxing and it's stressful. DH isn't here, so I'm basically a single parent. The activities we've been doing are for my kids, not what I want to do. I'm enjoying seeing them having fun and spending lots of time with their grandparents, but I really would prefer to be somewhere else.

I think I don't consider this a vacation because I'm in the home I grew up in, with my parents, and basically spending my days doing the things I used to do when I still lived here. My kids love it because everything is new to them, but I feel like I've moved back home.

 

[aprilgail2]

The town my DH grew up in has less than 600 people. There is literally nothing to do there. There's no movie theatre, no city park, no shopping area, no community center; Nothing. The nearest town with anything is 45 minutes away & it's not a large town. So when we go there I sit. I do not like to just sit. I like to go places & do things. Sitting in a house for 3-5 days is not enjoyable for me.
.

I love to see and visit family--I don't consider it a vacaiton though but I would never just sit in the house for 3-5 days. First of all even when visiting family I rent a hotel room-I detest staying in other peoples homes. I would find something to do even if I have to drive an hour to do it LOL...

While visiting family is certainly not a vacation like WDW is a vacation, I could never think of it as an obligation (which sort of seems to be what a lot of posters think.) Family is too important. For all those who view visiting family as an obligation, I hate to think of the time when you would like your (then) grown children and their families to come see you. What goes around comes around.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I agree. Every place has something. A river to enjoy, paths to hike, people to visit. Or if it really has nothing, that is all the more time to spend with people who care about you. Or, if they are too busy, it is an excuse to grab a book and an iced tea.

If the relationships stink, then that is a whole other issue.

 

[mrsklamc]

Some of us simply have family that are not pleasant to visit. What WOULD you call it, if not an obligation?

 

[mjantz]

I love to see and visit family--I don't consider it a vacaiton though but I would never just sit in the house for 3-5 days. First of all even when visiting family I rent a hotel room-I detest staying in other peoples homes. I would find something to do even if I have to drive an hour to do it LOL...
:

Closest hotel is, again, 45 minutes away. I really don't think anyone is getting the remoteness of this area. This isn't some cute little off the beaten path tourist area. This town is the remnants of a rural farming community. There wasn't much there to start with & as the population has dwindled it has even less. It's pretty much houses, a post office, a small grocery store & some churches.

I agree. Every place has something. A river to enjoy, paths to hike, people to visit. Or if it really has nothing, that is all the more time to spend with people who care about you. Or, if they are too busy, it is an excuse to grab a book and an iced tea.

If the relationships stink, then that is a whole other issue.

No river, no paths or trails & no people I or my DH want to visit. And I'm fine with sitting with a book for a day or so but after that I like to get out.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I've always called trips to visit family "trips" not vacations. I enjoy visiting our families, but its no vacation

Exactamundo!

 

[GinnyEmma]

No river, no paths or trails & no people I or my DH want to visit. And I'm fine with sitting with a book for a day or so but after that I like to get out.

If there aren't people, why are you there?

 

[mjantz]

Bad wording on my part. I should have said 'No one we want to visit except my in-laws'. Of course we feel an obligation to visit them. But it is in no way a vacation.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I do not consider going home to visit to be a real vacation. All we do is sit at someones house and chat. I can do that at home. My family is in Ohio and his is in New York. We are in Florida. His mother and I don't like each other so I really, really don't consider visiting her to be a vacation for me. These trips are not fun. They cost a fortune and neither one of us really like to go. We go since he feels an obligation to go visit his mother. If we are traveling past my family, I feel we should stop and see them. My father lives with me in Florida so it is just siblings, cousins and one uncle all on my mother's side in Ohio. My father's family lives around me.

I just got a text basically saying that Boyfriend doesn't love his family because we are going to Disney in October for his birthday and not to see her. We were up there last July and she was here in April. The only reason she even wants him to visit is because we have a DD. She doesn't care to see him, myself or my son. She has repeatedly made the comment that me, my son, and my family don't matter to my daughter or in my daughters life. See why I don't like her? So it got me thinking since this came about because she went to my Facebook page (I know but she is not my FB friend at ALL) and read something that I wrote to someone else about how this will be our first real vacation in three years. I really really hate drama unless it is on Big Brother, then I love it!

I do NOT consider a family visit a Vacation...........

 

[GinnyEmma]

Bad wording on my part. I should have said 'No one we want to visit except my in-laws'. Of course we feel an obligation to visit them. But it is in no way a vacation.

Got it. I wondered. I like talking with people and real life doesn't always make time for it.

 

[badblackpug]

If you leave your house and it costs you money then it is a vacation. Sounds like you have more family issues. I would never go see ppl I didn't want to see no matter who it bothered.

LOL I spent $350 at the Shoprite the other day. Does that count?

 

[miralys]

Nope. Family visits entail drama, politics, being on your best behavior, hurt feelings, did I mention drama, compromise, well you get the picture.

Put it this way, after a visit to my family, I need a vacation!

 

[Scurvy]

I don't consider visiting family at their home to be a vacation. It doesn't have anything to do with whether I enjoy seeing them - but to me, a vacation has more to do with the destination than the people involved. Going to a place that we wouldn't choose to visit if our family didn't live there isn't a vacation. Going to a place we really want to visit - even if those same family members come with us -would be a vacation. There are some family members I don't particularly enjoy visiting, and the trips to see them I view as an obligation. There are others I really enjoy visiting and who I look forward to seeing but I still don't consider those visits to be a vacation, even if I enjoy them as much as I might enjoy a vacation to some other place.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Nope,

Never....

Visiting with family is visiting with family.
A vacation is a vacation.
And, never twain shall the two meet!!!

 

[tlbwriter]

If you leave your house and it costs you money then it is a vacation.

That's an... interesting definition. According to you, every trip I take to Walmart is a vacation.

I don't consider visiting family at their home to be a vacation. It doesn't have anything to do with whether I enjoy seeing them - but to me, a vacation has more to do with the destination than the people involved. Going to a place that we wouldn't choose to visit if our family didn't live there isn't a vacation. Going to a place we really want to visit - even if those same family members come with us -would be a vacation.

I agree. I like my ILs, but visiting them in their pokey little town is not a vacation. A vacation, to me, is going to a destination I enjoy.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

That's an... interesting definition. According to you, every trip I take to Walmart is a vacation.

I spent 2 days with my youngest DS at the hospital recently. There was LOTS of money spent there.

Who knew that was really a vacation? It sure did not feel like one.

 

[tlbwriter]

I spent 2 days with my youngest DS at the hospital recently. There was LOTS of money spent there.

Who knew that was really a vacation? It sure did not feel like one.

Did you get a t-shirt?