A Good Vacation

Generally, if left to my own devices, I am not the kind of person to really step out of my comfort zone on my own. Unfortunately, though it is possible for me to take the initiative on a number of things, I am not really such a person when it comes to travel. Although when I finally do travel I generally value the time that I have spent. As you can begin to see, I generally end up traveling when I have someone to accompany me and motivate me. This is a quality I’d like to change about myself.

All of that being said, there are certain things about an ideal vacation that should remain consistent I think. The main one is that I would like to have a decent amount of autonomy during it. Usually the main factor in obtaining it is monetary in nature. Having enough money to spend allows for a good amount of freedom and enjoyment. From not having to worry about transportation or lodging or food, the benefits of having enough money should not be understated. Money can certainly make the difference between a terrible trip and a fantastic one.

The next important thing about a vacation is who I am with. Unfortunately, due to me not getting out enough, I am not always the best person to travel with. I tend to over pack yet under plan. I also tend to eventually get grumpy if I end up lacking sleep or the aforementioned autonomy. Luckily, until now the people I have gone traveling with are generally accommodating and patient. Going out to new places with reliable and interesting people is truly a pleasure and even though I might not have gone out traveling on my own, I usually feel quite grateful for having had the experience in the first place.

The last important thing for me is the experiences had during the trip. Generally, I avoid going on tours because I don’t like the feeling of being trapped and I would rather learn things on my own even if I end up learning less as a result. Another key factor in this is how reluctant I am to do certain things involving heights or other overly artificial attempts at thrills. It seems that a great many places have their own tourist traps but I would rather just enjoy speaking with the people I am with as well as new people. Truly the human factor in my experiences is the most pleasant for me and the background of a new location is very much not the focus for me.

That being said, I have had to change my way of being to be able to enjoy things on my own and go out and do things for myself. The difficulty in scheduling anything with friends means that if one were to not go out and find their own diversions they would simply not have many opportunities for new experience on their own. Expanding on my hobby of photography has made it much simpler to have something to do when I find myself alone and exploring a new place.

Ivan

Vocabulary

autonomy (n) – independence or freedom (from others’ control)
monetary (adj.) – of or relating to money
lodging (n) – a place where a person (ex: a traveler) can stay for usually a short period of time
aforementioned (n) – spoken about or named earlier
accommodating (adj.) – willing to do what someone else wants or requests
diversion (n) – something that people do because it is enjoyable, entertaining, or pleasant