Am I the only one who feels completely overwhelmed and stressed out before a vacation? Seriously, this is an honest question.
Is it a mom thing?
Do all moms feel exasperated by the amount of work and effort it takes to prepare for a family vacation? For bearing the mental and physical load of getting everyone and everything ready …
Doing the laundry, packing, calculating if you have enough sunscreen or toothpaste, shopping for said sunscreen and toothpaste if not, finding the right size suitcases, issuing a mail hold with the local post office, asking a neighbor to water the plants, running the dishwasher, emptying the fridge and garbage cans (because no one wants to come home to rotten food or stinky trash), making travel plans, packing the car … ALL THE THINGS!
Is it a female thing?
Do all women feel obligated to do a little upkeep before leaving town? Shaving or waxing their legs, getting their roots touched up, scheduling a mani/pedi, and maybe even booking a spray tan?
Do other middle aged women with weight fluctuations also need to try on all their clothes to see what still fits, and then spend hours online shopping to fill in the gaps because they don’t have time to go to the mall?
Is it an autoimmune thing?
Does everyone with an autoimmune disease or other chronic illness require hours upon hours refilling medications, filling pill organizers, finding mini coolers and ice packs for biologic injections, and packing extra supplies just in case a flare up happens?
Or is all this pre-vacation stress just another me thing?
Whether it’s my age, my gender, my illness(es), or my very specific genetic makeup, I honestly feel like the week before any vacation — even just a weekend trip — is like a storm before the calm. (Yes, I know the phrase is calm before the storm, but in my case, it’s the opposite.)
Vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but getting ready for it is anything but. At least for me. As a result, it usually takes me a full day to settle down and find that much sought-after state of vacation bliss after we arrive at our destination.
I know to some of you, this may all sound crazy. My kids are grown and my husband is also an adult, so there shouldn’t be so much to do. They can do it all themselves. But they don’t. At least not when it comes to anything other than packing their own suitcases.
Admittedly, I’m used to this living with this insane level of preparedness. Just leaving my house for a trip to the grocery store requires planning. The checklist is long, but my top three must-haves are:
- Medication in case I’m still out when it’s time for my next dose
- A huge refillable water bottle to keep me hydrated (because Sjögren’s disease dryness is no joke #iykyk)
- Gluten/dairy/soy/yeast/corn/peanut-free snacks in case I’m out longer than expected and get hungry
The good thing is, I’m great at making lists. It’s the only way I can remember everything I need to have or have to do … Although, even then, I often forget something. Usually, it’s my sanity.
So for all those who can relate and are planning a summer trip, here’s to surviving the chaos that is vacation prep. May it be short-lived, not short-tempered (although, that’s pretty much a given for me, too).
—LJDT
