Why Activity Vacations are a Great Idea

Everyone should go on vacation from time to time; getting away from the usual daily routine, seeing new things, and taking part in new experiences is good for the mind, body, and soul. For some, the idea of a perfect vacation is lying on a beach in the sun. Others want to go to theme parks and rush about. However, it is the activity vacation that most appeals to a wide range of people, and here are some of the reasons why this is the type of vacation you should try next. 

 

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

It’s Challenging 

When you book an activity vacation, you are giving yourself and anyone who goes with you a challenge, and that is hugely important. There might not be that much that can challenge you in your job and your home life – your job may be repetitive and dull, for example. An activity vacation can give you the change that you need. 

Being challenged in life is good for you. It stimulates the brain and makes it work harder, and it makes things more exciting and gives you something to look forward to. Whether you book a vacation that involves rock climbing, abseiling, bungee jumping, hiking, or simply exploring new areas in new ways, you will find it a challenge. In conquering that challenge, you will make changes in your life that you could bring back home with you too. 

The Healthy Option 

The key part of an activity vacation is the activity, of course. Any form of activity, especially if it is different from what you usually do, is good for you and your health. It will raise your fitness levels and help to make you healthier. 

Although it’s good to relax with a beach vacation, you won’t come home healthier that way. In fact, lying around doing nothing could cause you to put on weight, and you’ll fall out of your keep fit routine too. So an activity vacation makes sense because it will keep you moving, keep you thinking, and you might even go home healthier than when you arrived. All the good habits that you pick up on your vacation can certainly be useful at home too. 

New Perspectives 

Going on an activity vacation will often mean that you can see the world from a different perspective; you are more than just a tourist or visitor – you are immersing yourself in a different way of doing things and working. 

What’s really remarkable about this kind of vacation is that you are seeing the world from a point of view that not many other people can say they have done, and that’s exciting. It’s especially exciting if you are visiting a part of the world popular with tourists because although you might enjoy the usual sights and sounds, you will also be delving deeper and doing more. 

Create Memories 

Do all the other vacations you have taken meld into one because they were all so similar? It’s a shame when this happens because memories are so crucial to happiness and wellbeing. Yet if we keep doing the same thing time after time, it will happen. 

In order to make special memories that will last a lifetime, you need to do something completely out of the ordinary, and that could be an activity vacation. It’s not every day you scuba dive with Dip ‘N Dive out in the ocean or abseil down a cliff face, and those memories are definitely going to stay with you.

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This post was written with the Life According to Steph audience in mind

TWTW - here, there, and everywhere

Friday Began with Toegate 2021, in which I lifted a big mama heavy outdoor trash can up onto the curb except it went directly into my big toe instead. A bloodbath ensued, I was in a cold sweat and had to lay the fuck down. I worked until 3, my Dad and Carol arrived for the week, and my brother brought the kids down so I hit the beach for two hours with them - Lola is out there killing it in the water! - then we did dinner at the promenade, the rides, mullet examination, ice cream, the arcade, and they left. The remaining adults collapsed on the porch and were asleep by 10.

Saturday I was up around 7:30 and we were in the house by 9 since our guests left the night before to beat the traffic. Dad and Carol were awesome helpers and I was on the road back to Philly by 11:30. I made corn dip and did the most with my nails. We went to MFD’s cousin Col’s house for a nice afternoon with the Doyle crew. It has been a very long time since we’ve seen everyone so it was nice. I was so busy talking I took literally one photo. Home to pack haphazardly, finish a book, and frantically attempt to make reservations at midnight. 

Sunday Up and getting shit moving by 7:30: showering, final packing, changing and washing sheets, to Rite Aid to pick up toe supplies. MFD dropped Gus off and had to do his shit, so I made Crescent rolls with cream cheese and chocolate chips and did a lot of WTF let’s go. If you know MFD, you know. We finally left at noon (planned departure was 10:30a, and hit some traffic and did two stops so arrived in Manchester, VT, at 6. We checked in and took a little walk and were in bed early like the seniors we are. I’m probably going to bring back Shit MFD Says or Shit MFD Does because this MFer was using king size twizzlers to make himself raggedy Andy and other shit on the way up and taking photos and killing himself laughing as I was driving. 

I hate doing blogs on my phone because the photos are off but whatever this week. Quite seriously, whatever. My Out of Office is well fucking on. 

Show Us Your Books is tomorrow! Check back here for that. 

Thursday Thoughts - All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony

Phoning it in on this one because out of office

Reading a lot of library books. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday.

Getting some time in with my BFF Michelle and little girlfriend A and even a few minutes with Bob.

Enjoying an emptier town.

Spending time together, but not too much time. We're still us, just us on vacation LOL

Living my best life, basically.

Discovering tile under the gross glued down to within an inch of its life carpet in our apartment vestibule. Hallelujah and amen, I thought it was concrete and I was going to have to clean it, prep it, prime it, and paint it. Nope. I just need to use every ounce of strength and carpet adhesive dissolver to get the glue up.

Urging people to escape from the cult. If you or anyone you know needs to be deprogrammed, there are people who can help. If you find yourself unable to see any fault in someone, especially someone in a position of power like the White House occupant, please turn off Fox News, close out Breitbart, and seek help immediately. Please lord lock me away if I spend my energy worshiping a mortal man, my money on a stamper, and my spare time on shit like this, for fucking real.

What's new with you?

Linking up with Kristen

TWTW - the Labor Dayer

Friday I was out and about with my mother in law in the morning. My company shut it down at noon but I worked until about 7:30 since I wasn't working in the morning and got two key projects done before my week "off." Before I started working I had lunch and took the dogs on a long walk, and after work we did another long walk to see the sunset. Nails: China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle. I love the color but the application is streaky and requires three coats. Do not love. 

Saturday Sunrise.

I sat on the porch for a while with the dogs, then went to the library and ran other errands in town on my bike. Debbie arrived around 2 and we hit the beach for a few hours before it got too cold. Debbie picked up fried chicken and sides from Boyar's and we made the long walk to Aunt Betty's for ice cream. MFD arrived with Gus and Mae around 10. 

Sunday Sunrise was a stunner. 

It was MFD & Debbie's birthday so I gave them their gifts. MFD went to a meeting and to fish and Debbie and I people watched on the porch then hit the beach. MFD joined us later before leaving to fish elsewhere. I took the birthday crew out to dinner at Mildred's in Strathmere. The staff sang to them and I wish I got it on video but alas I did not. I think we were all passed out by 10:30. 

Monday sunrise

Coffee and reading and people watching on the porch - finished a book and started another. Debbie left around noon and we went to the North End where I was unpleasantly surprised that my new umbrella sucked so I  had to retreat and sit under the bridge like a troll. We got home and rode bikes up to meet Amanda, Frank, and Eva on the boards for some pizza, candy, and strolling. I finally got my coveted caramel apple. Straightening up and preparing for Tuesday appointments and that's about that. 

We're staycationing here this week - a little house stuff, new weekend check in Friday, and some vacation stuff. Both of us have to work a little too but hoping less than more of that. Maybe I'll blog tomorrow? I don't know. I did this weekend, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. So who knows. Thursday Thoughts are definitely happening. 

How was your long weekend?

Calling All Campers

Happy Labor Day! I hope you are not laboring today, unless it's laboring over planning your next break. We're at the shore all week, which is now a staycation for us, doing some work on the house after the end of weekly rental season and doing some vacationy type things too. A book I read recently had me thinking about camping though. I haven't been in many many years, and aside from the wall of Daddy Long Legs near the bathroom, I really liked it and I'd do it again.

via

Is it for you?

Almost anyone can camp. Except people alone. I've seen the movies and read the books and you have too. No, go alone if you're on a vision quest but like many things, there's safety in numbers and camping is safer when you’re with other people. If you have specific health requirements, you might want to skip it also. Tents aren’t the most luxurious of accommodation options and might not fit your needs. However, if you need a comfortable bed to sleep in at night and constant access to individual electrical outlets, you don't have to cross camping off your list entirely. You can always consider glamping, which is specialist camping at set sites that are more accommodating to more people. I would totally try glamping.

Where to?

The first step is deciding where you want to camp. Do you want to head to a campsite with showers and electricity? Or do you want to head a little further out into the wilderness? Wherever you decide to camp, make sure you have permission and that it isn’t somewhere dangerous. Some spots can have dangerous ground or wildlife. Always seek permission and do your research first. 

What you Need

You’ll have to invest for your first camping trip, picking up essentials like a tent, a camping mattress, and a sleeping bag. You may also want to pick up other items that will make life easier for you, like a mallet to push tent pegs in, microfiber towels that pack away lightly, tin cups to drink from, and other bits and bobs. Remember you can use all of these items tor all eternity once you have them. When we went camping the last time we borrowed a lot of stuff from more well equipped friends and that worked too. 

Packing 

Consider walking boots, a good quality waterproof coat, plenty of pairs of socks and hats. Clothes depend on the season, of course. And the basics: your toiletries, sunscreen, insect repellent and a topical antihistamine in case you get bit by something, hand sanitizer, first aid kit, toilet paper!!!

Skill Show

When you go camping, you may find yourself in situations that you don’t face on a day to day basis. That's much more challenging than sitting on the beach, and that appeals to me. You’ll need to be able to pitch a tent, cook food on a portable stove, and start and extinguish a campfire safely. You will also need basic survival knowledge, such as avoiding rivers and wearing shoes at all times in order to prevent yourself stepping on sharp matter. We've all seen Naked and Afraid, right? Shoes matter. 

As with everything, the better prepared you are, the better time you’ll have.

Happy birthday to Mark today - he was on the last camping trip I went on over 15 years ago. LOL

Are you a camper? Any tips to add? 

TWTW - the one with the end of vacation

Thursday MFD left to head home before 7. Dad, Carol, Debbie, and I went to two Bert's Surf Shops and Beaufort Olive Oil. They continued on but dropped me back at home. I did a little blogging and a little work and hit the beach around noon. We were out there until close to 7 and did the old pull all the leftovers out and eat dinner, plus the addition of chocolate lasagna by Debbie for dessert. After a Lola original concert on guitar, I went to bed and started a new book. 

Friday Last day of vacation! Morning rain produced awesome skies. I was on the beach by 10, finished a book from beginning to end and started a new one by noon, and done with the beach for the day by 3. Packing up and cleaning up, pizza, ice cream, seeing Stephen & Aubrey and the kids off, saying goodbye to Aubrey's family, and a last magic hour. I almost didn't go down because I was so tired but my Dad was like I think you should see this and I did. It was another great vacation with us on one side and Aubrey's family on the other. We all had a lot of fun and relaxed and the kids were a riot. 

Saturday The long ride home began at 4 am. Dad and Carol brought Debbie and I home since MFD left Thursday. I was trying to rest for the first two hours since I can't sleep in cars and somehow pinched a nerve in my right shoulder. I finished the book I started Friday, we stopped at a roadside farm market in Delaware, and after just a little bit of traffic we made it home by 2. 

I hugged the dogs repeatedly, unpacked what I could since my right arm and hand were pretty useless; had my first tomato sandwich of the season with tomato and bread from the farm market; ordered groceries from Wegman's via InstaCart since my arm hurt so fucking badly I couldn't imagine heaving the supplies I needed into a cart, out of a cart, and into the house; fell asleep for two hours, and started a new book. MFD was at the shore to do turnover and ended up staying the night. After over eight days of always being around people, it was so nice to be all alone. 

Sunday I was up by 7, showered by 8, and was watering the flowers before 9 when Instacart dropped off my groceries two hours early. Holler. I did five loads of laundry, changed the sheets, did more unpacking, and read some before heading over to my mom's for dinner. 

It was hot but a little breeze kicked in so we ate outside under some cool clouds. Rich's grilled pork chops were awesome and I ate both the cupcake and trifle desserts with no regrets until I got home and had to lay like a beached whale on the couch until I was less full and could complete my chores.

Weekly food prep: I made broiled chicken with artichokes for lunches and dinners (will put over rice or pasta) to start, since I had all the stuff and didn't make it on vacation last week. I also made a lot of veggie meat sauce to freeze. Breakfasts are hard boiled eggs and clementines. Snacks are zucchini slices with hummus and bananas. I didn't get to making power breakfast muffins but I'll do that this week. 

Happy happy birthday to my longtime friend Gena Ho!

Back at it. Let's go. 

Thursday Thoughts: lazy vacation style

Wishing for a winning lottery ticket. Vacation forever. Sunrise to sunset.

Bidding MFD adieu early this morning. He headed back home to attend a conference, work, and take care of shore house turnover on Saturday so I could stay  for the rest of the time

Having a great week with my family and Aubrey's family

Drinking mint sun tea

Collecting shells

Laughing at so much

Weathering storms and laughing our asses off crammed under tents propped up with wood to withstand winds

Enjoying coffee with a view every morning

Buying tie dye while wearing tie dye 

Biking around early in the morning before it gets hot

Eating too much vacation food. The donuts from Flip Flops are so fucking good.

Sharing scenes from vacation. Last week's TWTW, today, and Monday's TWTW will serve as vacation posts. 

Tomorrow Steph & I are sharing Day in the Life posts focused on sustainability/being less wasteful - where we're good and not - let me know if you're joining us with a blog post or posting on Instagram so I can check it out from the beach.