Why I'm sick of travel guides
Hint: it has nothing to do with travel guides and everything to do with me
I feel as though lately, I’ve been seeing “city guides” everywhere. There are those who gather their favourite spots in their home towns, their top picks when it comes to popular vacay destinations and also, people are begging for recommendations in the chats. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise as we are entering the prime vacation time of the year and people are island hopping, wine tasting and sunbathing their way around the world. But I can’t help but to think - whatever happened to spontaneity?
This irritation feeling I’m carrying is probably further aggravated by the fact that I too am on vacation. A *family vacation* - IYKYK. It’s been the best of times, it’s been the worst of times. Let me paint you a picture.
It’s been me and my boyfriend, who has been a part of our family for two and a half years. He’s adored by everyone for his easy-going and kind nature. Dogs love him, kids love him, parents love him. Then we have my sister, her partner and their two-and-a-half year old. Did I mention it’s their house we’re staying at? On top of this, we have our parents. Oh and the house is next door to my sister’s partners parents. Finally, we have two dogs who are one-and-a-half years and 9 weeks old, that we’re trying to keep apart due to any injuries that may be caused by a 34.5 kg dog playing with a 4 kg puppy. Phew, did you get all that?
Our number 1 concern during this time together has been around deciding what the plan for the day is. One might think that being in the Danish countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and cliffs and fields of wheat with access to cars and bikes and a SUP board might be enough. You obviously haven’t met my family. No, we need an itinerary for each day (set by our parents) which involves meal plans, time schedules, activities and a strict who-goes-in-which-car discussion at the breakfast table each morning. We obviously can’t split up or do different activities - that would be insane. And all of this needs to be planned out before 8 o’clock because everybody then gets about 30 minutes to get ready and hop in the car. No time to lose!
As you can probably tell, I’m not a fan of this rigorous daily planning nor am I a fan of the early mornings. I would be happy sitting in a deck chair sipping my coffee all the way to lunch. Or spending all day on a towel at the beach, lazily making my way to the nearest ice cream stand when I felt peckish. But there is an underlying issue regarding expectations for my mum some anonymous family member that causes an urge to make every moment the best it can be. Picture perfect. And she does it so well, most of the time. But when the inevitable happens and a child needs an unplanned nap or a dog needs an unplanned walk or someone slept poorly and is therefore grumpy, we need to adjust and change the plan and lower our expectations. Ahh, the horror!
Okay so back to the whole I-am-sick-of-travel-guides thing. I’m obviously realizing at this point of this newsletter that I have a bone to pick that has nothing to do with people sharing tips on Substack and everything to do with being the self-appointed diplomat of our family. But please, everyone, can we just chill? Maybe we can go on that vacation and not know exactly how every single day will turn out, which restaurants will ensure a spotless dining experience, which coffee place will serve the most photogenic beverages or which beach will provide the most astonishing sunsets? Maybe, just maybe, you’ll have a completely average coffee one morning and still have a great vacation. Who knows?
Oh, I was just thinking about this today! I feel like I always need a vacation after vacation, and it’s sometimes more stressful going than not. I don’t know when this started happening, and I wonder the same thing - what happened to spontaneity?
Couldn't agree with you more! Isn't that the point of a vacation... to rest and not have to keep to a schedule? I've always embraced the French concept of 'flâner': to walk around aimlessly, just for pleasure and to simply admire the beauty of your surroundings. For me, that's the only way I can fully recharge (and unleash) my creative battery. It's a must for any vacation. 🧘♀️