Tag: vacation

Looking forward to a well-deserved timeout, at least once a year, to vacation is what nearly every person needs. However, if you are like many couples with children, trying to find some romance while away with kids in tow is not an easy task.

In speaking with many divorced individuals—most of whom complained that the flame had gone out of their marriages—one common lament was the lack of romance. Further, because of tough economic times, most confessed they had money for only one yearly vacation and that vacation was one they felt must include the children.

Have you ever gone on a "Marriage Vacation" to re-energize your intimacy, friendship and connection? We highly recommend them, and if you have children we suggest that you really try to carve out a "No Kids Marriage Vacation."

When my husband, Patrick, first suggested that we leave our children and go to Hawaii for five nights without them I protested loudly, "If you think I am the kind of mother that would leave her children for that long, you do not know me very well." Yes, it is true. I was furious that my husband invited me to go to Hawaii with him.

Uncertain economic times are impacting everyone in a thousand different ways. In order to cut expenses, many couples are foregoing more exotic destinations, such as a two-week trip to the South Pacific, opting instead to plan trips closer to home. "Discovering America" can help save on a variety of expenses, like the cost of getting a passport among many other things, as well as help boost local economies at the same time. However, when planning that next vacation, couples can save a bit extra by avoiding the often unnecessary cost of rental car insurance, which can be as much as the rental itself.

Many times, purchasing full rental insurance is unnecessary. A rental vehicle used on your vacation qualifies as a ‘non-owned automobile’ under most personal auto policies that have comprehensive and collision coverage

My wife and I love taking vacations. The thought of getting away from the hurried pace of life is a thought we relish. Vacations are times that we can make memories without all of the real life hassles getting in the way. So, what happens when all that time together turns bad? We don’t normally spend 24 hours a day together at home, so why do we assume that a vacation will be pure bliss with that much time together? Why do we not anticipate that spending that much time together will cause a different kind of stress?
Don’t get me wrong, vacations are priceless to our family as I’m sure they are to you, too. I do believe, though, that if we keep a few things in mind prior to going on vacation, we can have a much smoother experience.

When Chris Christensen and his wife, Joan, were expecting their first child in 1988, they decided to take a vacation. The couple booked a trip to an inn in the Heritage Park area above the older part of San Diego. "There were two reasons for the trip," Chris says. "One was to spend time together as a twosome before we became a threesome." Another was that Joan was having problems with high blood pressure—a situation the vacation solved by reducing stress that "was more work-related than baby-related."

Chris, who lives in San Jose, did not realize it at the time, but he was blazing the trail ahead of today’s growing trend of "babymoons"—weekend getaways for expectant couples. The term dates back to at least 1996

1. Snail mail or e-mail your itenerary to the host in advance. Include your flight schedule, arrival and departure times and city that you will be transferring planes. Whether you are traveling by bus, train or air, don’t assume that the host will be able to pick you up, unless they offer. Be prepared to take a taxi to get to your hosts’ home.

2. Arrive with a hostess gift in your suitcase or pick something up on the way to their home. Do some sleuthing in advance of your visit. Ask the host questions and find out their interest or hobbies. If they collect teacups, a nice basket of tea, decorative napkins and a beautiful teacup would be thoughtful.

Every couple wants to have a perfect vacation, and sadly, it does not always meet our expectations. To prevent disappointment, it pays to make plans carefully, and this takes time and honest communication between partners. First of all, determine what kind of vacation you want. Each of you should be very open about your preferences. It helps to write down all the pros and cons for your choices, and please remember to be practical. Consider all of the aspects you can both think of in planning this special time.

It is very important to listen to your partner and share the kind of vacation you each want. This requires patience and understanding, as well as a willingness to give a little. Once, I was on a trip and witnessed a marriage dissolve before my eyes because travel conditions in a third world country put so much pressure on each person—the experience destroyed the relationship.