Do you consider visiting family to be a vacation?

[TheIncredibles!]

Did you get a t-shirt?

No no T-shirt. Plus the bed was crappy, they did not leave me towels, shampoo, soap and that nice hand lotion.... The food sucked too.

 

[Wishing on a star]

SOME people.... They just can never be pleased, and they just can never be happy I don't think anywhere they go on vacation....




Seriously, anybody who can be that funny after having their child hospitalized... WOW!!! Hope all is better!

 

[TheIncredibles!]

SOME people.... They just can never be pleased, and they just can never be happy I don't think anywhere they go on vacation....




Seriously, anybody who can be that funny after having their child hospitalized... WOW!!! Hope all is better!

He was there for testing that could only be done in the hospital

 

[indimom]

My sister lives in Destin Florida. We have taken trips to their home many, many times.

Most were just visits, but at least one was a 'vacation.' We stayed with them, but we went to the Gulfarium, mini golf, several beaches, a small community zoo, took a Dolphin sightseeing tour, ate out the majority of the time. Much more a vacation vibe.

But, what the OP is describing is NOT a vacation to me.

I would have to say, for me, a vacation is a trip we planned for ourselves to do fun/different things we do not ordinarily get to do. (And even though she lives hours away, I DO get to talk to my sis and her family regularly )

And, no, I would not feel guilty for taking a vacation IN PLACE OF a trip to see family. Both can cost a lot of money and time; and we do not have an unlimited budget or vacation time.

 

[klmall]

Well, we've never visited any family who lived anywhere even vaguely resembling a vacation spot. Even as a child when we drove to see relatives in central NY or PA and then went with them to sightsee somewhere; THAT WASN'T A VACATION! It was just picnic lunches and riding in a car in the heat and talking and whatever! Even drove down to Asheville, NC a couple times and I love that area and it wasn't a vacation because that side of the family is CRAZY beyond description. Once, while we were out at a lake one day, that uncle burned their house down (he was an insurance agent at the time and they had another house ) so that quickly turned into a time to go home vacation!

Even our planned vacation added onto a wedding last summer in NH was a dud; too hot in New England last July to enjoy almost anything and then it rained for three days straight!

And DH wonders why I flat out refuse to vist DB and his family in Kansas

 

[Goofyluver]

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

This made me laugh.


We just got done at the orthodontist. VACATION!

 

[leight]

Funny thread. Just got back from a week visiting dh's family in NY. It didn't feel like a vacation -especially when I totaled the receipts! But MIL is not well and while it was an obligatory trip, we know that this might well have been our last good visit with her. I even stayed with her while dh took the kids to a water park. I wasn't able to visit two years ago when the kids/dh were there so I wanted to spend some quality time with her. I actually like her much more than my own mother.

We enjoyed revisiting cousins and old haunts- we moved to FL from NY 7 yrs ago. But it was more of a visit than a vacation.

Last month DH took a week off as his best friend flew in from WA to spend the week. They spent a lot of time with the kids at the pool, beach and went canoing. I wonder what his buddy calls that time? After an ugly divorce most of his vacation time is spent visiting us-getting out of the cold and into the FL sun is a big draw for him and his son. I know that dh called it vacation since he had to use PTO to be home that week- and I made sure that they had 'guy' time for golf, etc on the weekend.

Last year was tough- two family deaths that DH had to attend on his own- emergency plane costs for 4 would have been prohibitive. So we limited our 'vacation' to the kids' spring break- spent 5 days at Wyndham Bonnet Creek and exchanged GAD tickets for florida res 4 day passes at WDW. To keep the budget super low ($700 total) & we're just over an hour away I brought food supplies from home, used restaurant.com gift certs and even sat thru a 3hr timeshare(never again) for $100 gift card for WDW restaurants. It was a nice getaway- but even that wasn't a relaxing vacation!

 

[Lucille1963]

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

We call them "Family Trips" too.

I'm envious of those who can kick back and vacation with family. Even my grandmother who lives on a lake in a desirable resort area is a "family trip". When I'm on "vacation" I'm not in constant fear of judgement from those around me, constantly striving to make everyone around me happy, while acting like a super mom with a fake smile plastered across my face, and having the topic of the most in depth conversation of the day be "what you want on your dinner salad". The last family trip there, the thing I looked forward to was the drive home. Honestly. Because I'd be able to kick back, relax and talk to my husband (which coincidentally is what I look forward to doing at Disney!)

 

[C.Ann]

Yes, I do.. I have a sister in one part of Florida and a brother in another area of Florida.. (I'm in upstate NY..) The trips I have made to see them have been great and very entertaining.. They've always managed to find somewhere to take me - or - something to show me that I've never seen before..

When we're not out and about, I love just sitting outside with either of them - chatting and catching up on things - walking around their neighborhoods in the evening - meeting their neighbors - etc..

Any place other than "home" seems like a vacation to me.. Good times with great people..