Real vacations do not involve plans

[Fishound]

I have gone on plenty of vacations as a child, and though I enjoyed them, I don't think they qualify as a "vacation". First, why do we normally go on a vacation? Most would say it is because we spend much of our time working and taking care of daily responsibilities. A vacation is something you do to escape the stress of it all and simply enjoy yourself. However, most vacations I have been on involve extreme planning, time schedules, and pinching money to pay for it all. All of these factors together often create the same level of stress you were trying to escape. Oh, the joy I had when I could hear my mother and father arguing about how we are running late to the boat sailing appointment, or my sister and I arguing about whether we want to go to the amusement park or the museum. One of the best vacations I went on was when the whole family rented a big beach house on the Jersey Shore. Everyone on the trip made spontaneous plans with who they wanted, doing what they wanted, when they wanted. Those who just wanted to lounge around on the beach all week could do so guilt free. Zero stress. Perfect vacation.