Life can get crazy. We all need some time away. Last year it was much harder to take a vacation. The pandemic limited our options. You should take vacations when you can. Spending quality time with family matters.
On Saturday, my family and I will be going on vacation. My wife, Diana, and I have four kids. Diana was one of four as well. Her brothers and sister and their families – 16 of us in all – will spend a week together. We rented a big house at the beach. Everyone is excited about the trip. We had a group FaceTime call Tuesday night to discuss some of the logistics.
As our minds start to shift to vacation mode, I wanted to share these seven tips to help you have a great summer vacation:
1. Remember to plan ahead. Waiting too long to plan your vacation can add stress. It can also keep you from going where you want to go or doing what you want to do. We booked our upcoming family vacation in March. If you want to see certain attractions while you’re away, book those in advance, too.
2. How much you spend doesn’t matter. You don’t have to break the bank to have a great vacation. In the past, our family has taken “staycations.” We take a few days, or even a week, to visit some local attractions. Of course, it’s a lot easier for us. We live near Washington, DC. We’ve also done the same by visiting some of the attractions in New York City when staying with family in New Jersey.
3. Enjoy the time with your family and/or friends. While I enjoy seeing new places, that’s not the best part about taking a vacation. It’s the chance to spend quality time with those I care about most. One of my favorite vacation moments came when our kids were younger. We were at Disney watching a parade. Only I wasn’t watching the parade. I was watching one of my sons watch the parade. Seeing the joy in his eyes as he watched was better than watching the parade itself. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.
4. Avoid – or at least limit – time spent checking email, using your phone, and the financial news. These all serve as distractions. They keep us from the primary purpose of vacation: Spending quality time with those we care about and getting away from our daily routines. As a solopreneur, I can’t totally ignore email as there’s no backup. But I can restrict my use of electronic devices. Email gets checked at the start and end of the day. The same goes for the financial news. It’s important to be present and enjoy the group activities that take place the rest of the day. After all, it’s vacation time. Remember to take both your body and mind on vacation. If you spend too much time using digital devices, your mind won’t get a break. Don’t sacrifice time with the person in front of you for the distant person you never see.
5. Take time each day to go outside. This applies even if you get a bout of bad weather. Take a walk in the rain. You might enjoy it. When I went to summer camp, they used to tell us not to worry about the rain. After all, “your skin is waterproof, and your clothes will dry.” I’ve reminded our kids of this from time to time, too.
6. Stay hydrated. It’s hot out there. Always have a bottle of water with you. Mine keeps water cold all day long. Staying well-hydrated has many benefits. I lived in Tucson for about 18 months. For part of the year, the daily high temperature exceeded 100 degrees. Even with that heat – yes, dry heat differs from slightly lower temperatures with high humidity – I found I could do any outdoor activity I chose. The key was making sure I had plenty of water to drink. You should drink plenty of water all year round.
7. Make sure you make the most of it. Summer passes by quickly. Life does, too. We all need time to recharge our batteries. Life can get crazy. We don’t always spend as much time with those that matter in our lives. Make sure to take advantage of the opportunity when it arises.
Thanks for reading. I hope you can find some inspiration from this week’s lighter blog fare. Next week, the Apprise blog will take a vacation, too. You’ll still receive something in your inbox, but I won’t be writing anything new.
Have a great week.
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Phil Weiss founded Apprise Wealth Management. He started his financial services career in 1987 working as a tax professional for Deloitte & Touche. For the past 25+ years, he has worked extensively in the areas of financial planning and investment management. Phil is both a CFA charterholder and a CPA.
Located just north of Baltimore, Apprise works with clients face-to-face locally and can also work virtually regardless of location.
