Pre-Vacation Syndrome

PRE VACATION SYNDROME

A perfect storm of excitement and anxiety!

Can you relate?

It's a few days before the much anticipated date circled in red on the calendar. The researching, planning and booking is done. A few new things have been purchased and wait to be packed in the suitcases which have been retrieved from storage. We've arranged for the house to be looked after while we're gone. What's left but to wait for the day and finally the moment of departure! Nothing much seems worth doing right now. I drift into a mode of suspended animation. At least that's what happened this time. It's either - I'm ready too early, it's silly to pack yet, or it's, I haven't got a thing done, I'll never be ready to go!

Here are the stages as I have experienced them.

And you?

Desire grows....
Got to get away for a while

Maybe we should do sandy beach, blue skies, azure water?... Mmmm...

Maybe wander around an exotic city?

I love exploring another part of the world

I'm dyin' to visit art galleries, museums, castles, palaces

Having picked a date, we begin the journey by stepping over the edge and pressing "buy" on the travel website...

Itinerary...
Pouring over maps
Planes, trains, or automobiles?
Googling till fingers cramp up
Compare prices... hotels... tours…
Check opening/closing days/times of venues
Off the cuff? or tightly planned? Modern travelling often demands online prebooking of said venues with the alternative being 3 hour lineups at the door

Preparation Anxiety...
Lists and lists of lists
What to take to wear? Which shoes?
I'm probably taking too much but I'll add this cute red blouse, just in case
Will my technology devices work? What about recharging them? What about online security? 

Currency there
Fear of forgetting something important like glasses or prescriptions
Print out every voucher, ticket, route, plan - in fact, print 2 copies, just in case

The what if category... 
What if there's an airline strike
What if it's not so special, not worth all the money
...my shoes give me blisters
...the shampoo bursts through the plastic bag that’s inside the other plastic bag and gets all over everything in the suitcase
...we're in an accident or are a victim of crime
...there's a disaster in the family while we're gone

Then it's a few days before...
I don't know what to do with myself today and don't want to do what I could do and don't know what to do about it
Window washing, cupboard cleaning—who cares! I'll do it after we get back
I don't have enthusiasm for cooking a decent meal so let's go out

Leaving the house category...
Did I leave the iron on?
Did we close all the windows?

Did we turn off the lights?
One last post-it note stuck to the front door - take out the garbage!

A brief prayer for journeying mercies for ourselves and God's protection for our loved ones at home, and finally we're out the door!!!

Then there's the certain knowledge that it'll go by far too fast. You blink and it's over and you're dealing with jet lag and the after vacation blues!

Worth it? I’m certain it will be!

In researching the concept of Pre Vacation Syndrome, I stumbled across the following--

"No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one".  The scientists confirmed this famous quote of American writer Elbert Hubbard. The scientists have discovered that 40-50% of people suffer from different syndromes when they return to work after a long vacation. ...The standard vacation of Kazakhstan’s people usually last for 10-14 days...

When I read that last sentence, my mind did not compute the word "Kazakhstan" until I realized the source was a TV station in that country! What a small world we live in! Only goes to prove I have a lot more travelling to do!