What do you consider a vacation?

[eliza61]

A vacation to me is a break from my normal routine. A day off doesn't cut it because I usually still cook and clean.

So that usually means getting away from home.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Anything more than 4 days, and we don't have to go anywhere. Ahh... sounds wonderful!!!

 

[kimmar067]

....any time when I don't have to cook, clean, pay bills, or feed the dog is NUMERO UNO in MY book......

 

[kimmar067]

Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I view school vacations as a vacation; however, they are not the same as "going on vacation".

...a-MEN, sistah....

 

[LoraJ]

5-7 days to another location that does not include visiting family.

 

[kacaju]

being away from my house longer then 2 nights is a vacation.
I cannot stand the term staycation... it is a day trip. I do not go on a *staycation* to the beach, I take a day trip to the beach with the kids. sorry for my vent....

 

[Sammy]

A vacation to me is any number of consecutive days away from home during which:

1. I do not have to cook
2. I do not have to make a bed
3. I do not have to wipe down a toilet
4. I am able to read more than two pages in a book.

 

[2BigKIdz]

I guess I am unsure of my own definition We recently went to VA Beach for 4 nights which I did not consider a vacaction. I guess I must leave the state of VA to be on vacation. But I think taking a week of from work without going anywhere would be considered taking a vacation, but not going on vacation which probably makes absolutely no sense except to me

 

[alexandria674]

All of your options sounds awesome but thenext "vacation" I will take will include only five things
1. A bathtub where I can soak in for a loooong time.
2.Bottle of Asti
3.Chocolate
4. Trashy romance novel (thats right I admit it!)

And most importantly, a locked door so I don't to deal with "Alexandria, can you help me with this?" If I have to hear that one more time.....

 

[AllyandJack]

My last vacation was when I was in the hospital having DD3. It was just me and her in the hospital. I cleaned out the snack fridge, while lounging around and watching a Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathon. I read. I slept when I wanted.

It was so nice to just have it be me and her with no toddlers to chase. I ordered food.

Sounds dumb, but that 3 night stay in the hospital was the most peace I've had in a long, long time. I loved it.

H brought the older girls to visit once a day, but, other than that, it was total peace.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I have to get away for a week in order for it to be a vacation. It can't be anything where we just sit around and do nothing, either. In fact, if I don't come home totally worn out, bruised up, and exhausted, I don't feel like I've had a good time!

When I hear about people just using up vacation time and hanging around the house for a week, I think I would go bananas.

 

[GeorgeG]

Being retired, vacation can sometimes be vague. I still work as a musician, but I don't really consider that work since it's what I like to do. Getting paid for it is more like a self-sustaining hobby.

Before I retired, our vacations were almost exclusively to WDW (from New York), but now we're just an hour away and can go just about anytime we want. We still stay over 1-3 nights now and then, so I guess you might call that a vacation.

 

[shortbun]

Gotta be at least 5 days. It takes 3 days to get accustomed to the new pace and a 5 day vacation only leaves you one day to enjoy before you have to come home. A REAL vacation would be 10 days to two weeks somewhere, more preferably. A long weekend is meh! An overnight not even worth mentioning. People-take vacations, the mind and body need them. It's like food for the soul.

 

[JennaTX]

I voted "other".

If my MIL keeps the kids for the night and DH and I have a night to ourselves...that is a "vacation"!

 

[NHdisneylover]

But I usually say that a "real" vacation is a week away from home. A long weekend is a "mini vacation", and a few days off at home are just a few days off work. LOL I know, my reply made no sense...

Makes perfect sense to me as it is how I would define them as well. Though we rarely EVER have "just a few days off work." If DH has more than 3 days in a row off (2 being the weekend) we pretty much always figure out some sort of mini vacation. Even weekends involve at least one day trip as often as not. We like to be on the go

If I were to say I had not had a vacation in X amount of time that would mean I had not spent any nights away from home (for non work reasons) in that time. I might also say I have not had a "real" vacation in X amount of time and that would refer to something at least a week long (but visits to family would still count).

 

[PollyannaMom]

...I cannot stand the term staycation... it is a day trip. I do not go on a *staycation* to the beach, I take a day trip to the beach with the kids. sorry for my vent....

I do call it a day trip (or outing) if it's just one day. But I think "staycation" is appropriate if you actually take time off work and string several "day trips" in row. It's about being in full "vacation-mode" while still sleeping at home.

 

[AndreaDM]

I think of real vacation as our once a year getaway to someplace we either fly to, or drive at least 8 hours to get to, and stay at least one week. Throughout the year we take at least 3-4 long weekend getaways, but I've never called them vacations, I usually just say "we're going to Vegas, etc. for the weekend".

I have a friend who insists we go on vacation all the time because we drive from Ohio to Syracuse (6.5 hours) several times a year to visit the in-laws. NO, staying with my MIL for 3 days and following her rigorous family itinerary (which always includes church at least once) is NOT a vacation! This friend also thinks we always go to NYC when we go...I can't get it through her head that NY is a BIG state and NYC is at least a 5 hour drive and we've went ONCE from Syracuse, lol.

Travelling is the #1 hobby for both my husband and I. It comes down to choices and priorities, and it's where most of our disposable income is spent. We'd love to do some updates to our 1970's swinger palace we bought, lol, but a trip wins out over new carpet every time! We were at a friend's the other night and he had just ordered new rims for his car for about 1K, all I could think about was "that's a weekend trip for us!". Our trips this year included a weekend in Vegas (dh&I), a girlfriends long weekend in Florida, a weekend trip to Kennywood in PA (with our 6 year old DD), a week in Puerto Rico with all our kids - that was our "vacation", and DH and I are going to New Orleans for 4 nights next month to celebrate my 40th birthday. Whew, sounds like a lot, but not enough in my book! I was hoping to take our 3 daughters to Chicago for a mother/daughter weekend but that might have to wait til next year. DD6 really wants to go to the American Girl Place!

DH travels for work a lot too and maybe once a year I tag along depending where he goes - he's headed to Atlantic City on Wed. for 3 days and I'm going along. He'll be working during the day, I plan to read, drink and do a little gambling, but I still can't call it vacation for some reason!