BluMac81
Member
Vacation stress, sounds contradictory right? Vacations are meant to be a break from the stresses of everyday life, a time to relax.
Not true for me however, as I've noticed, especially (and almost exclusively) on lone vacations the anxiety and stress I experience is as much if not more than when in the security of my home.
I type this now from my hotel room at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, finally a chance to relax... the vacation hardly over but I'm already ready to go home. Why? Mostly driving stress. I worry about all the what if's constantly... since I'm driving alone, and hundreds of miles away from anyone I know, I feel it would be catastrophic if my vehicle broke down (got an ABS light on my truck halfway through the drive)... or... if I lost something important (almost lost something)....or....if I got into an accident (there have been some near misses) or... if I got lost (already lost my truck at this hotel yesturday spent hours in 110 degree heat looking for it). Along with the boredom of long drives alone and the insecurity/instability I feel not knowing where I will be sleeping the next night, a solo vacation for me feels more like a waste of time and money, only to get additional anxiety/stress.
So what's the point? For my family. I feel I need to see them and be with them for a while. As well as old friends in Vegas (lived in Vegas for 5 years while in the USAF).
I need to learn how to relax! How to de-stress! How do you do it? I know there are others like me. Almost reminds me of the National Lampoon Vacation series, except without the stress of traveling WITH family. Quite the opposite for me, traveling with just one other person nearly removes most if not all stress/anxiety. *sigh* Maybe I should resign myself to vacations only where I travel with other people... because in my mind, unchecked, the anxiety/stress on a vacation just makes it not worth it...
Not true for me however, as I've noticed, especially (and almost exclusively) on lone vacations the anxiety and stress I experience is as much if not more than when in the security of my home.
I type this now from my hotel room at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, finally a chance to relax... the vacation hardly over but I'm already ready to go home. Why? Mostly driving stress. I worry about all the what if's constantly... since I'm driving alone, and hundreds of miles away from anyone I know, I feel it would be catastrophic if my vehicle broke down (got an ABS light on my truck halfway through the drive)... or... if I lost something important (almost lost something)....or....if I got into an accident (there have been some near misses) or... if I got lost (already lost my truck at this hotel yesturday spent hours in 110 degree heat looking for it). Along with the boredom of long drives alone and the insecurity/instability I feel not knowing where I will be sleeping the next night, a solo vacation for me feels more like a waste of time and money, only to get additional anxiety/stress.
So what's the point? For my family. I feel I need to see them and be with them for a while. As well as old friends in Vegas (lived in Vegas for 5 years while in the USAF).
I need to learn how to relax! How to de-stress! How do you do it? I know there are others like me. Almost reminds me of the National Lampoon Vacation series, except without the stress of traveling WITH family. Quite the opposite for me, traveling with just one other person nearly removes most if not all stress/anxiety. *sigh* Maybe I should resign myself to vacations only where I travel with other people... because in my mind, unchecked, the anxiety/stress on a vacation just makes it not worth it...
