No vacation club

[Mom-ninja.]

Anyone *not* going on vacation?

 

I feel like I'm the only one. So many people around are talking about their vacations they are taking or have just gotten back from.

 

We will not have a vacation this year. We simply can't afford it. I had to cancel my trip to see my sister because we can't afford it.

 

So I'm wallowing in self pity because we don't get vacation.

 

Anyone else in the no vacation club right now?

 

Yes, I realize to just be grateful for all I do have. Family is healthy, we are able to pay our bills, DH has a job, etc. I'm pouting anyway.

[Crissy]

No vacation for us.

Summer is our busy season, so if we do take a vacation it usually happens in March. Still, we only vacation once every three or four years.

[LauraGB]

Uh, 2.5 vacations in 10 years here. Willing to join your pity party. Will bring snacks and whine.

[yslek]

We never go on vacation. The closest we've come has been visiting family when we didn't live in this state, and a couple of one-night things (usually in conjunction with family weddings or the like.) We're going on a two-day camping trip with some friends from church in August, so that'll be our vacation this year! I'm glad we're at least doing something, even if it is brief and nearby.

[Dana]

We're talking about going on a vacation in a while - maybe this year sometime - more likely next year.

 

Our last vacation was when ds was 3 (paid for by my parents).

Before then, we went on a vacation the year after we were married (1995) - we didn't have a honeymoon.

 

We have traveled to visit the inlaws on occasion.

 

So that's 2 "vacations" in 16 years.

 

Feel better? ;)

[Mynyel]

*Raises hand*

 

Going nowhere here as well!

 

We need new brakes on the van and a new washer. By new (for the washer) I mean new to us kind of new...as in used :)

 

That aside we still really couldn't go anywhere. Any place we want to go to would take double the amount of money that we need to spend for our brakes and washer!

[WishboneDawn]

No vacation here. We've never ever gone on one excluding tenting half an hour down the road for a weekend or spending a few days at my parents' house.

 

They were always a luxury we could never afford and something people in a different social class did.

 

Next year we are going to Disney. I can't believe it but we are. But until then, no vacations. Just those weekend getaways.

[elegantlion]

I'm there with you. We were supposed to go to Florida next month, but have canceled due to numerous reasons. Oil and my dh's three week "unplanned vacation" (as in lag time between jobs :toetap05:)partially to blame. :glare: We might get to go see family sometime, not quite the vacation I need. We might get to the big city a few times to do something slightly more spectacular than our options here.

 

For now I'm enjoying sleeping in late, forgetting what day it is, and trying to get by with as little cooking as possible.

[secular_mom]

We've never gone on vacation. We've done some weekend camping trips, gone to discounted days at theme parks we lived close to. We've gone to visit relatives during DH's vacation time, but I certainly don't consider that to be a vacation.

I am saving money for us to eventually go to a theme park before we move out of this state, but I'm not certain I'll be able to do it- tickets are very expensive, gas to get there, travel food and a hotel- yikes.

[Oney Jones]

Yes, I realize to just be grateful for all I do have. Family is healthy, we are able to pay our bills, DH has a job, etc. I'm pouting anyway.

 

 

:grouphug: It's okay to still desire a time of fun, rest, and relaxation.

 

We are not going anywhere for a vacation either. We are having a wedding! My daughter is getting married in July so we have plenty to do and I wouldn't trade a vacation to anywhere for giving her a wedding celebration she's planned since 7th grade!

 

FWIW, I can count one time we've gone on a bona fide family vacation. We took the kids skiing a couple years ago during spring break. Whoo Hoo we had a motel room and ate out and everything! Never had done that before...haven't done it since then either.

[milovany]

I'm secretly hoping to still be able to take our annual beach house vacation this summer, but in all reality we may not be able to since we just bought a house and have tons of things we want to / have to do in relation to that. We'll enjoy life on "the farm" instead!

[The Girls' Mom]

No vacation here either. :) Our vacations for the next several years will be going home to visit family. :auto:

[Oney Jones]

Uh, 2.5 vacations in 10 years here.

 

Half of a vacation? :confused: Do tell. ;)

[Mom-ninja.]

Uh, 2.5 vacations in 10 years here. Willing to join your pity party. Will bring snacks and whine.

 

yes, what is .5 of a vacation? :)

 

I need a plate of brownies.

[Dawn in OH]

No vacation for us. We had wanted to go camping for a week, but with the new baby we've decided to put that off until next summer.

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks for joining my pity party. I'm feeling better already.

[Ravin]

My vacation was in February. I'll be going again next February, to a week long medieval reenactment event. Of course, I usually put in at least forty volunteer hours at the event, and next year I'm on the staff, so it's not an entirely relaxing vacation...but it's fun!

[Mejane]

No vacation here. Too many busy and conflicting schedules.

[jewellsmommy]

What is a vacation? This concept is foreign to me. :D In other words, No. I feel your pain. We did do a one night stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Feb. It would have been awesome but it turns out that dd can't breathe in the indoor waterpark. Her lips turn a lovely shade of blue right before she stops breathing all together. I guess that could have been labeled vacation though.:001_huh:

[Liza Q]

We had no vacations for about 14 years or so. Then we went to Disney World three times over four years....and that is it for a while!!!

 

It has been two years since our last vacation and we are not planning anymore (even locally!), now that we are dealing with college expenses!

[Avila]

Our last vacation was when I was pregnant with my almost nine year old. And that was three days in Branson.

 

No vacation this year because we spent all of our money on a cross country move. And no money to "sort of" vacation here until our house back home sells either.

 

Add me to the pity party.

[NorthwestMom]

We might do a few days of tent camping here or there, but no big hotel stays or multi-day theme parks for us. Honestly, I have to fight the green monster every time someone talks about their big trip. :(

[Lymeade Mom]

Uh, I did have a honeymoon and did some support raising trips when we were missionaries. Can I still join the no vacation club?;)

 

We consider a vacation as going to the (kid's) grandparents. When I look at how much people spend on vacations, I just can't imagine that being in our price range! I don't consider us poor, just financially tight. I didn't grow up going on many vacations. Other than a national convention we went to sometimes at a nice hotel and with kid's programs, I remember 2 vacations. Enjoyed those, but it wasn't a yearly expectation.

[LauraGB]

Half of a vacation? :confused: Do tell. ;)

 

The half vacation was a 2 day trip to Chicago with the kids to visit museums. A combined total of eight hours of those two days consisted of driving to/fro. I wouldn't call it a *vacation*, but it was a break from the daily grind, so I counted it as half. ;)

[Denisemomof4]

I hate to travel. We do vacation every few years, but that's PLENTY for me.

 

I'm HUGE into day trips or long weekends away, but an actual away vacation? Too much work. And I *HATE* to fly. I'm just not a traveler. By the time we leave I'm already exhausted. I have to have hired help come 3x per day for the animals, make sure EVERYONE has enough food and grain,e tc. It's just a hassle.

 

I don't feel like I'm missing out At All. I hate to travel. I'm in YOUR club. :001_smile:

[Prudent]

We haven't been on vacation since our honeymoon.

 

I don't think it's that uncommon for people to NOT go away yearly for a vacation.

 

I know it's easy to notice how 'everyone else' seems to get to go on a fancy trip every summer, but I do think those people are in the minority.

[Guest]

Yes, this thread makes me feel better. Everyone is already starting to post vacation pics on FB and I've been bumming about being the only one not going, too. Yay - I'm not alone!!!

[Doodle]

No vacation happening here. Any extra money we have has been put into our new house. We'll be hanging out here and enjoying it.

[Ravin]

A vacation to go visit family would be wonderful. I haven't been on that sort of vacation since DD was 3. DD gets to spend a month at my mom's this summer and did last summer, lucky kid. I have to stay here and work Can't even go get her, my car isn't up to it.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

No vacation for us. We're getting a surprise baby in Oct instead. :)

 

My dh is taking the 3 boys on their annual 'boys' camping trip' so they have something to plan and look forward to, at least. Other than that, it will be concerts in the park, a couple trips to the little water park in town, etc...

[oldskool]

We had to cancel our summer vacation here too because of our financial picture. It will be the first time in 10 years that we haven't gone. On the bright side I am looking forward to relaxing at home. The other years much of the summer was taken up thinking of the vacation, taking the vacation, and then unwinding from it all. By that time summer was over and none of my projects around the house got done. I am looking at the positive points of having a laid back summer.

 

Lesley

[Aubrey]

No vacation here since 2004, & that was just a few days. Haven't even travelled to see relatives since 2007, but that was the first time in yrs.

 

My plan is to be a brilliant writer about homeschooling topics & be invited to speak at conventions. Then life will be one long series of "vacations." :lol:

[sarawatsonim]

Nope, no vacation. We have absolutely no disposable income to even put some aside to save for one. We went on a vacation in 2007 and I swear we haven't even finished paying it off yet. Unfortunately I get the pleasure of hearing about my best friends third vacation this year they are taking in July. :glare:

[junepep]

No vacation for us this year either (or for the past few years), maybe a couple of quick 1/2 day trips to the beach if we're lucky :) -- but we're saving for our 10 year anniversary trip next year, so the anticipation makes sacrificing a few years worth of vacations worth it.

[Kalypso]

No vacation for us this year. We just don't have the extra money.

[Jenny in Atl]

No $$$ = No vacation...

[Mom in High Heels]

Well, we just came back from vacation, but we were only able to afford it because dh is gone 2-3 weeks every month (he's military) and gets extra pay for being gone. Not much, but enough that if we saved it we could afford a vacation. We have a friend who was on the cruise with us who will be going on another cruise at the end of the month. She can only afford to go on both because her dh has been deployed since Oct of last year. He won't be home until Oct. this year. Soldiers get extra pay when they are deployed (again, not a lot, but a decent amount to save). Believe me, as much as we loved the vacations, we'd rather have our dh's home. We got home from the cruise and dh left the following week He'll be gone another 2 weeks. He was gone 2 weeks in Jan, 3 weeks in Feb, 3 weeks in Mar, all of April, 2 weeks in May and he'll be gone in July for 2 weeks, 3 weeks in Aug, all of Sept and Oct 2 weeks in Nov, and a week in Dec. It's a trade off.

Have a "stay-cation." Find things to do within an hour or 2 drive. Get a blow up pool, throw the kids in it, sit yourself in a chair and sip something cold.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We don't generally take vacations. We did go back to the US last year for our first real vacation since leaving the US in 2005.

 

But, we do have a fun family day at least once a month and we try to take time when we need it. Vacations are something rare here.

[ScoutTN]

us too. no money = no beach.

thankful to be healthy, DH employed and be able to go to the pool. :001_smile:

[bluemongoose]

We're not. I have not been on one since my honeymoon 7 years ago! Does that make you feel any better?

[Mad Jenny Flint]

Last year, we went camping for a weekend in July, had a huge domestic upheaval that same month with my mother; then in August, we went to VT for a week and immediately afterward to Washington, D.C. for 4 days. In September, we traveled to Ohio for a long weekend, and then in November we went to South Beach for a long weekend and left from there for a week long cruise in the Caribbean.

 

We didn't spend tons of money, but we didn't have much down time, either. I am looking forward to some serious down time this summer vacation. We may take a couple of long weekends, but no serious vacation-planning time or away time.

[BikeBookBread]

The only vacation we ever take is to visit our elderly parents once or twice a year. Rarely it feels like a vacation, usually it feels like we've been in a boxing match. In the six years (since PDG was born) we have NEVER been on a family vacation in the assumed sense of the word: to the beach, big amusement park, camping in the mountains for a week, etc...

 

This year, our summer vacation will mean driving 2,278 miles from the desert southwest to Washington DC in separate cars trying to beat a moving van to our new home.

 

You are not alone.

[Luckymama]

I too am secretly hoping we can go on our annual vacation (annual since 2004, that is). It's been a really horrible year-----my mom died of ovarian cancer in November 17 months after diagnosis------and I just need to be in a different physical location for a few days. Preferably with a roller coaster and a Mouse. And fireworks every night. And a pool. And a frozen adult beverage :D

 

If not, I'll bring some brownies to the no-vacation party :)

[Dana]

This year, our summer vacation will mean driving 2,278 miles from the desert southwest to Washington DC in separate cars trying to beat a moving van to our new home.

 

Oooh... a race!

Hope you win!

:auto:

[BikeBookBread]

Oooh... a race!

Hope you win!

:auto:

 

I probably will win, because I will be driving the Twirling Girlies in the wagon...and I will want them OUT OF THE CAR and into the motel pool as fast as their little legs can carry them every afternoon!!!!!!

[Debbie in London]

No vacation for us. We had Hawaii scheduled for this month but decided to cancel to save money.

 

My boys went to PS this past year and I missed them so much. I'm not going to miss going on vacation because I'll be enjoying all the time I get to spend with them. :grouphug: (As a side, DS9 might be coming back home next year.)

 

Debbie

[kalanamak]

No vacation. Since I am the sole support of my family, and I can only accrue a certain amount of vacation, I use vacation days for sick leave (my sick leave can pile up, but is only worth 25 cents on the dollar if I cash it out), and at the end of the year, if I have any I still have to use, I take one day a week off at work and do field tips with kiddo.

 

I used to go visit my parents two weeks a year and clean house and give my brother a break, but with them gone, no travel. When I go to my family reunion, I tend to cook or study. Some people find vacations the opposite of relaxing!

 

My parents had itchy feet, and schlepped their large family all over Europe, and to Asia and Australia. Some of my childhood is absorbed with memories of seasickness (we never flew) or tearful rides in taxicabs waaaaaaay after my bedtime, or jammed in a VW squareback with 5 other people for the summer. While I'm glad I saw all those things (like Altamira before it was a tourist trap), I think I did all my vacation before the age of 16. :)

Edited June 9, 2010 by kalanamak

[KJsMom]

I'm sending my kids to Nana's for 2 weeks, does that count? I will be home with dh. I wish I could say I will be relaxing and enjoying the break, but no. We are converting our garage into a bedroom and will be hard at work.

[gingersmom]

Last year was my first vacation in 10 years.

[ereks mom]

...dh has planned something special for just him and me. He won't tell me what he has planned. All I know is that we'll be leaving next Thursday and will be returning home on Saturday. So he & I will have a two-day "vacation", although I don't know where we're going. Both dc will be away at camp (at no cost to us!): ER will be chaperoning at youth camp, and the church where he is serving as summer youth minister will take care of his expenses; EK was given a scholarship to music camp this year (she goes every year & we usually pay $300).