Vacation is truly a way to get away from it all. Why is it that in addition to our resort wear, bathing suits and paperback novels, we bring along our insecurities and sense of personal limitations? Your vacation should be a break from the ordinary, a way to get out there and live it up, live life to its fullest and experience all that the world has to offer! I think that we should treat our travels as a getaway not just from our work and the responsibilities of home, but from every boring aspect of our lives. Break out of your comfort zone on vacation. Do something crazy. Do something that you never thought that you’d do in a million years…it will keep the excitement of your vacation alive in your heart and make memories that will last a lifetime!
Just Give it a Shot
On my very first press trip for my blog, I was asked to go horseback riding along the beach in Jamaica. I am terrified of horses – I’d like to think that it’s a healthy fear, a testament to their strength and power…but my fear was challenged, and not wanting to be that girl who refused to participate in a group activity, I obliged. It was a little stressful at first, but halfway through the horseback ride, I began to relax and enjoy myself! It was a great learning experience for me, and now I always say “yes” when I am invited to do something that challenges me to break out of my comfort zone.
In January this year, I rode through Red Rock Canyon, just outside of Las Vegas. It was my favorite part of my trip to Las Vegas and made me realize just how much I would have missed if I hadn’t said yes!
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Off the Grid
On my first trip to Texas, my friend suggested that we go tubing. An ice cold river, a bathing suit in front of a ton of strangers and six hours without a cell phone signal…I wasn’t too keen on leaving my phone in the car while we floated down the Guadalupe for six hours, but I did it.
And I loved it! It was one of the most fun activities I’ve ever done; we spent the day floating, talking to people we met along the way, and ended the day with new friends. Truth be told, I didn’t even miss my phone because I was having so much fun with my friends – and making new friends!
I did have my friend stop on the way home so that I could snap a photo though…
Expand Your Culinary Horizons
My daughter’s first foray into spicy cuisine was a piece of jerk chicken while we were in port of call in Negril, Jamaica. She loved it so much that she insisted that I learn how to make it after we returned home from our Carnival Caribbean cruise. Her adventurous spirit inspired me to start eating outside of my comfort zone while traveling, and while there are some things I will NEVER eat again, I have found a few great new recipes through my culinary exploration, with some amazing surprises along the way!
For instance, while in Mexico City last year, I was offered a dish that consisted of hibiscus flowers wrapped in a tortilla, alongside a tortilla topped with seasoned crickets.
Yes, I said crickets.
I ate them. Because why not? They weren’t the most delicious thing on the menu that evening, but they weren’t all that bad, either. They tasted like salty chicken and the worst part of the entire experience was getting a scratchy little leg caught between my teeth.
Thank goodness I travel with dental floss!
Do Something That Scares You
I enjoy doing things that are little risky from time to time, but there are certain activities that scare the bejeezus out of me – like white water rafting. While in Costa Rica earlier this year, I passed on the opportunity to go white water rafting because I was actually scared. I had never been white water rafting before, and the idea completely terrified me. As soon as I returned home, I regretted missing my opportunity and decided that I would do it when I was in North Carolina later in the summer.
I was still afraid – so much so that I had my fingers crossed the entire way to the river that it would be closed due to weather. The weather was lovely, and we embarked on our little white water rafting adventure. My adrenaline was pumping, my heart was racing, and it ended up being my favorite part of our family vacation!
Participating in an activity that scares you, like white water rafting, is a way to make the most of your vacation. We travel to experience new things, so why limit that exposure to the cities you walk and the food you eat?
Be Adventurous
By day, I am a work-at-home, carpooling mom. I spend the majority of each day at my desk, or out running errands. Life is busy, and hectic, but rather boring. I would venture to say that many people share this type of lifestyle – we work all day, spend our evenings cooking or cleaning up, and the weekends being a bit lazy and concentrating on spending quality time with the family.
There’s nothing wrong with that – at the end of a long work week, most people don’t have the energy to do something wild and crazy.
Vacation should be different! Vacation should be full of excitement and adventure, full of the kinds of activities that leave your heart full of giddy happiness when it’s time to go home and sit back down at the desk. Do something a little crazy while you’re on vacation. Go white water rafting, eat exotic cuisine, go cave diving, learn how to snorkel or go ziplining! When my family goes on vacation, we always seek out a ziplining excursion, like the Puerto Rico Canopy Adventure we did while on a Carnival cruise last summer.
