05 Jun The 4 P’S To Taking a Vacation

Pray

Ok don’t skip this blog or roll your eyes just because it started out with praying. There’s just something about committing even the “trivial” details or desires in life to God that we absolutely agree with which makes almost everything in the Bailey household start with a prayer. Part of it too, is just because of the reality of our budget because we were looking for the bestquotes about insurance. We know what we’re able to afford but we also know what we’d REALLY love to do, so to reconcile those difference we talk to God because nothing  is impossible with Him. We allow ourselves to dream with him and let him do the rest. And it doesn’t have to be long. If it’s Teko, then we might have a session but if it’s Gabby, we might have a sentence.

Plan

Then scout for places to stay. When I was growing up we either did summer vacations abroad with family or locally in Jamaica at an all-inclusive hotel. So I’m all about hotels BUT AirBnB wasn’t around then and I’m sure if my mom had a choice she might have tried AirBnB too. It just depends on what’s most important to you and again budget. See what your options are and don’t get locked into one way of doing things. 

Prepare

I hope you aren’t like us and you pack your bags way in advance especially if you’re traveling with kids. This last trip was only to Honolulu so I guess the closeness of the island made us procrastinate a bit, which wasn’t a smart move. We packed the entire night before which may lead to very bad reality of overpacking. When we do longer and much farther destinations, like outreaches in Sierra Leone, the packing goes on for weeks though because we’re able to eliminate the excess and take only the essentials. That’s the mindset we need to switch to vacay/ rest trips. 

Also allow your spouse or someone close to you for those who aren’t married to reality check you’re packing. Brené Brown (who I love by the way, but that for another blog) calls it CTJ moments, Come-To-Jesus moments where your packing matches the reality of what the trip will look like. Example, in the middle of Africa, we aren’t going to many night out or dinners so when Teko packs a few dressy shirts, a CTJ moment is me going “Hunny, there’s no way we’re finding a restaurant here, get them out.” 

Play 

When you get to your destination, throw everything out the window and relax. Seriously, don’t worry about any single part fo the process because it’s all going to come together. Take a break mentally and choose to become present to the moment that you’re in. You worked hard to get here, saved a lot and planned as responsibly as you could. Now enjoy it. 

To parents, give the routine a break. Kids are so much more resilient than we give them credit for and they’ll bounce right back once they get home to familiar surroundings. Our AirBnB in Honolulu was a studio and even though Kalino slept in his pack and play he could wake up and see us asleep in our bed. A couple nights he woke up and we made him sleep beside us, which we’d NEVER do at home. But we enjoyed the snuggles and once we got back he went into his crib, put himself to sleep and that’s that. Allow your kids to have a vacation too, that’s all I’m saying. 

What are some crucial steps in your vacation planning process? Tell us, we’d love to learn other great ideas.