When my wife came up with the idea for this vacation, she had a certain vision in her mind. It was a vision of lying by the pool with the sunshine overhead. On our last full day in Cancun, this vision was fulfilled.
We had a prime spot by the pool and basked in the sun as a waitress brought drinks to us. We read magazines and listened to music. My stepdaughter played volleyball in the water and on the beach. It was a day that vacations are made of.
After the day by the pool, we went back to the room to rest and get ready for dinner. We got cleaned up and went the steakhouse that we had visited on the first night. The place where they called me Ricardo. We had a good meal with a few drinks. Overall, it was a relaxing experience.
It was also one of the first times I have ever done anything like that. I try to learn something new as often as I can, and I learned something in Cancun. I learned the difference between a vacation and a trip.
When I was growing up, my family went on trips. We packed up the car and drove across the country. Along the way, we didn’t do much relaxing. We stayed in roadside hotels, and, each morning, we hopped in the car to drive. My dad used to refer to a late start as “burning daylight.” We saw all kinds of sights, and I am lucky enough to have visited each of the 50 states.
I wouldn’t trade those trips and those experiences for anything. However, I have missed out on the experience of a vacation. I can count on one hand the times I have gone to a beach town and stayed in one spot. That’s one of the reasons I enjoyed this vacation. It was a new experience, and I am all about new experiences.
It was interesting to see what people do on a vacation, and everyone at the resort seemed to do the same thing. They played by the pool during the day. They went to the room and dressed up. Then, they went out to dinner. There were probably a few variations to that theme, but they weren’t noticeable.
I am not sure where I am headed with this stream of thought, but there are a few things that I know. I am glad that we went on this vacation, and I hope there are more in our future. I am also glad that I have experienced road trips because there are a lot of interesting things out there to see.
I used to look down on vacations as a waste of time because I was ignorant to what they are really about. They are about getting away from the daily grind and recharging your personal battery. That is not a waste.
I am sure other people have thought that avoiding the beach to go on road trips is just as wasteful. They are just as ignorant as I was. Trips take you to different parts of the world and help you understand what the world is all about.
Ultimately, there is room in life for both. Vacations and trips can coexist. Some time can be spent relaxing, and some time can be spent exploring. Both can be fulfilling and fun. We just have to open our minds and realize it. That’s what I learned in Cancun.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
I’m a big fan of going away to do something.
This past December, we also took a resort trip. The biggest choices were whether to swim in the pool or the ocean, and where to have dinner.
Yeah, there’s a lot to be said for that.
(Next trip is to Canada for a concert.)
(In February.)
(Oops.)
I love concerts, but it had better be someone good for a February in Canada.
Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, same stage, acoustic.
Worth it to me.
Definitely worth it.
Climates vary across Canada. In most places, February is the Deep Freeze. But on Vancouver Island – and even some British Columbia mainland there are places it rarely snows – much less gets very cold. – substituting rain. Victoria (Island) has a climate that most US states would envy. In Alberta we get occasional Chinooks – warm winds – that put us above freezing. BUT – you may have noticed – this is a particularly bad winter right across the continent so … take your chances.
Yeah, there’s always room for a nice, easy holiday. We go to a place on the Costa Brava in Spain. We know what we are going to get and we love it! Which leaves loads of room to read and write, recharge and just chill…
Sounds like a great place. It’s cool that you can go over to Spain for a quick vacation. I wish we could do that.
Well, you’ve got California! We dream about that. (Been once and totally loved it).
I guess you guys don’t burn in the sun, huh. I’d be in the hospital with 3rd degree burns if I spent that much time in the tropical sun! It always sounds like such a good idea 🙂
I’ll burn in no time at all. That’s why I hang out in the shade.
I love both too. The only vacation I couldn’t imagine I would enjoy is a cruise-like a floating Alcatraz with casino and dysentery. But I guess you don’t know til you try.
I’ve been on a few cruises. It’s not my favorite thing to do.
All 50 states, that’s quite an achievement. My ambition is to visit every country in Europe but it just keeps getting bigger and harder with new countries appearing all the time.
Interesting thoughts on trips v vacations, I think I prefer trips!
Thanks. I would like to add more countries to my list. A friend has been to every continent. That’s my ultimate goal.