I used to fancy myself a pretty good vacationer. But on my family's recent week-long trip to Mexico-our first real getaway since the pandemic began -I got mixed up.
The huge difference between the expectations and the realities of travel hit me a few hours after we landed in Cabo SanLucas, Mexico. Driving our rental car to Walmart to buy groceries, we found ourselves snack in stand-still traffic for over two hours. I comforted myself with the thought that once we arrived, my vacation self would emerge: relaxed, flexible and ready for a surfing followed by a margarita(玛格丽塔酒)an the beach一while wearing one of several sundresses that had been gathering dust in my closet since 2020
Readers, I did not.
First, I was defeated by what I will well refer to as "traveler's stomach. Then, I was scared out of surfing by waves that seemed too messy and powerful for my skills. A chilly fog kept me from unrolling the sundresses I'd carefully pocked, and I ended up wrapped in the same sweat-shirt that I wore on the airplane. All seemed ruined
During the episode, I nearly drove myself crazy by asking constantly. "How can I make this better? Can I find a different route in the traffic?" But it was just about acceptance: getting into the moment, accepting what it is, and trusting -trusting this may not be the best moment of the vacation, but there can still be good moments of the vacation.
Indeed, I noticed a shift in my mood. At some stage I did drink a margarita. Eventually, I had an enjoyable afternoon of surfing in the sun. But when I fondly remember this vacation now, I more often return to curling up on the hotel couch with my husband, watching "Stranger Things "in sweats; or siting sand-caked on the beach watching our daughter digging with a local girl. In those small moments, I was simply present. That's what vacation is all about.
