Do you consider visiting family to be a vacation?

[minkydog]

Well, for many many years the only vacations we had were to visit family. Lucky for us, DHs sister lives about 8 miles from Destin, FL, so we could the kids over to the beach. Now that the kids are older we have been able to take a few "real" vacations, to WDW, on a cruise, on an RV trip.

Personally, I think of the see-the-family trips as mostly obligations. I don't enjoy visiting my in-laws at all and DH doesn't really enjoy visitng my mom, so we go separately to see them. My mother is a hoarder, so going to her house always causes me a lot of anxiety. We live about 400 miles from our families, so we don't see them very often. My mom comes up to see us about 2-3 times a year--she is 77 and she still loves to drive. My MIL is in a nursing home, but SIL & BIL are capable of traveling. They go on long weekends, cruises, and gambling trips, but they have yet to darken our doors. Apparently, the interstate only runs south, not north I doesn't really bother me too much.

...sending DD18 off to college in 2 weeks, saving up to go on a us-only camping trip this fall...

 

[crz4mm2]

When I was a kid, we used to go see my Aunt and Uncle for a week in the summer. We always felt it was a vacation! We got to swim in a POOL (didn't have a public pool in our small town) and spend time with cousins we adored.

I am sure my Mom would not have taken us had she not enjoyed it (Dad went to). We sometimes went to the zoo, and I actually visited a mall for my first time ever on one of the trips there.

I hope people that visit me think it's a vaca.......

 

[marcyinPA]

Sometimes. It depends on who it is, and what we're doing. If we stay with family and do a cool day trip every day, then it is vacation. If we stay with family just to chit chat and visit, then it's still vacation (time off from work) but it's not a fun vacation!

 

[Colleen27]

I do, but my distant family lives in fun places... Virginia Beach, Boston, the Lake Michigan shore. And we don't spend our visits just sitting around, nor do we bunk with our relatives - we stay in a hotel, go to the beach, check out local attractions, etc. We just do some of it with family rather than by ourselves the way we would at other destinations.

 

[worm761]

I wish the families lived in fun spots. Mine is in Fremont, Oh. Nothing there. His is in Bath, NY. Even less there. We live in Pensacola. Not that there is much here either.

 

[Lewski709]

No.

Because "vacation" doesn't require work or effort, and visiting family equals both.

AMEN Uncle Remus's husband, AMEN!!!

 

[M5ward]

If one does not enjoy visiting family, then it simply is an obligation.

It's great if you enjoy visiting your family. Some of us are not so lucky. Please avoid judging what you do not know.
And I know that when my dd comes to visit me once she is grown, I will not expect her to sit in a small dark room for three days and watch religious programming and eat re-heated Hamburger Helper from the week before.

I was NOT passing judgement on the OP; I was making an observation based on my opinion..to which I am certainly entitled.

 

[Goofyluver]

AMEN Uncle Remus's husband, AMEN!!!

Actually, I'm her wife.

Seems like we've all been making the same mistakes today.

And may I just say, congratulations on your engagement and your upcoming wedding. It seems like a wonderful celebration of your love.

 

[spacemountainmom]

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.

I will have the echo what the pp said. If I treat my kids and future grandkids the way my mil treats us, I would fully expect them to avoid going out of their way to spend time with us.

Fortunately, dh and I agreed a long time ago that spending time with our kids which includes me being home with them, at least one of us attending all sport or musical activities, spending time with them camping, fishing, hunting....etc.....and going on fun vacations as a family was way more important than having a "better" house, fancy furniture, new cars every couple years, working non-stop to pay for all of the showy stuff and not ever spending time with our kids or ever attending games or concerts and taking vacations without them.

My MIL made her bed, she has to lie in it now. At times, she seems to have regrets but heaven forbid she apologize or admit she might have been wrong. She whines and my FIL tells her that she raised dh to be independent and shockingly he is. My kids have also reached the age that they see how grandma favors their oldest cousin. My daughter doesn't appreciate that the little bit of time grandma spends with her, my mil spends the whole time telling dd about how wonderful her cousin is. My ds pretty much is ignored by by my mil as is my nephew.

The in-laws are famous for saying they're going to visit or do stuff with us and the kids and they back out at the last second. I used to be able to hide it from the kids, but now they are old enough to understand. The last two trips to Disney, they were going to drive down (they are in GA) and meet us. Last minute they decide that they just don't feel like it. Whatever.

DH and I would rather spend our vacation time and money doing something we enjoy rather than visiting his parents. So sue us........

 

[GinnyEmma]

lol, can someone explain how vacations require no work or effort? A rather funny statement on this board where people obsessively plan their vacations down to pee breaks.

 

[mjantz]

I wish the families lived in fun spots. Mine is in Fremont, Oh. Nothing there. His is in Bath, NY. Even less there. We live in Pensacola. Not that there is much here either.

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 do have family who live in other, more fun areas like Atlanta & Boston. I just can't consider going to the middle of nowhere to sit in a house for a week enjoyable and a vacation. As always, YMMV.

 

[Robindianne]

Nah. Just a duty. Not saying it's not fun (sometimes), but it's not the same as a vacation going to WDW

 

[Robindianne]

Go to disney and lock down your facebook so only friends can read it!

This.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Visiting family is not a vacation.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

 

[*Fantasia*]

Do you consider visiting family to be a vacation?
I consider it a vacation! Especially when they live in Hawaii is a great vacation! As a matter of fact we just did that this summer! We even stayed at their house for the most part and spend some quality time with them, but at the same time, we went to places! I brought with me some souvenirs, a smile on my face, great memories, great pictures of my family and our adventures and a tan! Awesome vacation! So yea.. visiting a family is a vacation!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

lol, can someone explain how vacations require no work or effort? A rather funny statement on this board where people obsessively plan their vacations down to pee breaks.

So true!

 

[cassandrap83]

I agree with you OP. We just moved to Florida, and our theory is this: It is a whole heck of a lot cheaper for us to fly down 2 people (my in laws) than for the FOUR of us to fly up....and sit and chat. Heck, we're in FLORIDA! They get the bonus of visiting us and going to the beach or one of 1000 different tourist destinations.

My husband is flying up for a wedding in a few months (by himself) but we really don't plan on going back to visit for quite a while.

We have offered to pay 50% airfare for any family member that comes down.

 

[StitchBuddy]

Depends on where they live and how much I like them!

 

[disykat]

lol, can someone explain how vacations require no work or effort? A rather funny statement on this board where people obsessively plan their vacations down to pee breaks.

I'm soooo glad someone said this! I was thinking the same thing.