In defense of non-relaxing vacations

Distractions during time away from work.

Image created via Midjourney

During the first week of March, I was on vacation at Disney World with my family. If you've ever been to Disney, you know that there is a lot of planning involved (at least, if you have a specific list of things you'd like to see and do). I had a Notion doc of our daily agenda and printed schedules for the kids. They like to know "the plan," and I'm a self-proclaimed master planner. We were on the go almost all day, every day, but — as a result — checked off almost everything on the list.

I described the trip to a friend, and she said, "That doesn't sound relaxing at all." Part of that is simply life with kids. Vacations aren't a "break" — they're just parenting in another city, which is often logistically harder.

But also, I didn't mind the busy schedule at all. There's something to be said for a vacation that keeps your mind occupied. I wasn't tempted — or even capable — of checking my work email during the day. Sometimes, we need a break that's a distraction, rather than empty days on a beach where our minds can wander back to work, worries, or anything else going on in our lives.