
Welcome guest blogger, Michele Kasoff, an expert on family travel in the greater Tampa Bay Florida region who runs TampaActivityGuide.com.
The Times of Your Life: Vacations and Happiness
Americans are obsessed with efficiency. We are experts at checking our Blackberry while taking a business call or supervising the kids' homework while making dinner. Double-tasking is the norm. But it is amazing how much we take time for granted and lose track of the big picture. The important things we had planned to do in life, like travel, can fall by the wayside.
As a travel specialist who runs Tampa Activity Guide and a career changer with a PhD in psychology, I have come to recognize the emotional and psychological benefits of vacations. As a psychologist, I have spent a lot of time providing therapy to older adults. Talking with people who are looking back on decades of living highlights the importance of time off, time with loved ones, and the tenuous nature of our future plans. Past vacations, and lost opportunities for them, are topics that come up frequently in my discussions with seniors. From this experience I have come to understand the many reasons Why vacations play a healthy role in our lives, and why taking vacations should not be put off for later in life.
Vacations are Good for Relationships
It is clear that vacations provide many benefits for families and couples. Relationships grow and become closer over time through sharing activities and interests. Indeed, these shared positive experiences are often the moments when people feel most connected. In our overscheduled lives it has become increasingly difficult to find this type of bonding time. Our "everyday" shared experiences are typically more about running errands, completing the "to-do" list, or rushing to scheduled events. There is very little time for relaxing, exploring, or discovering together. When kids and adults feel both relaxed and mentally stimulated (by a new place, activity, environment, etc), the family or couple tends to have deeper conversations and have a renewed closeness in their relationship. Vacations can also help people step away from their hectic lives and think about what is truly meaningful.
You (And Your Children) Will Not Be Young Forever
Having the opportunity for joyfUl experiences is important at all stages of life. We know that kids benefit from fun and engaging experiences with family throughout their development, and a happy childhood certainly facilitates a well adjusted adulthood. Similarly, adults experience various life stages. The vacation experiences of newlyweds, a couple with children, and retirees might vary greatly. Vacationing frequently later in life does not make up for the absence of time off with loved ones earlier in life. Every phase of your life is important. In order to achieve a sense of happiness throughout your life it is crucial to have enjoyable experiences at all stages. You never get to go back to the stage of life that you are in right now. If you put things off, you can never turn back the clock and get to experience that vacation as a young couple, or young family, or before the kids move away.
Opportunity Isn't Permanent
I have always felt saddened by the stories of older adults saying that they worked hard their whole life, and took little time off, because they imagined they would vacation with their spouse or family when they retired. For many, an unexpected illness or death of a loved one prevents them from ever fulfilling this dream. This is not a reality that is exclusive to the elderly. There are countless young adults who become injured or disabled or have a child who becomes ill. Others lose a spouse or loved one much earlier than they ever imagined. Even a relatively minor change in health status can affect your ability to travel. We like to imagine that we will always be able to pursue the experiences we care most about at a later date -but these precious opportunities aren't permanent. It is important to take time off to spend with loved ones throughout your life, and not to put off having those important travel experiences for another day.
Creation of Cherished Memories
When people look back on their childhood and their life, many of their most cherished times are those special and out-of-the-norm experiences with loved ones, such as holidays and vacations. These are "time off' moments that differ from typical everyday life and provide rich personal and family memories. While all time spent with family is important and helps build strong ties, people rarely look back on their lives with nostalgia about how they used to run errands with the kids. However, adults frequently look back on family vacations, from their childhood and adulthood, and recall them as incredibly special times in their lives. Vacations seem to facilitate a feeling of having a life well lived.
Most Americans truly love going on vacations. However, we tend to be masters at convincing ourselves that it will be easier to take that vacation at some point down the road. The truth is that life will always be hectic and expensive. But those who look back upon their lives and feel most fulfilled have taken time off to fully live their life -throughout their life. Your life is being lived right now, even as you read this. The task is to be sure that you are living it well.
For helpful reviews of Tampa Florida activities, the Tampa Activity Guide is an ideal resource. This popular travel site is enjoyed by Tampa Bay area locals and tourists alike. TampaActivityGuide.com reviews activities and events in the Tampa, St. Petersubrg and Clearwater Florida areas, and sorts activities by the age group they would be best suited for. The site also has a section reviewing indoor events suitable for rainy days or inclement weater. Upcoming Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater area events are also posted daily.