You finally commit to taking that week or two off of work, and now comes the time to plan your vacation. You now have to make the decision: Do I want to relax poolside or do I want to hike to the tallest peaks in the Rocky Mountains? With the ease of travel, you can be anywhere in the world within 24 hours. On the flip side, as vacations become more costly you may feel the need to plan the “perfect” vacation. The question that you have to ask yourself is: do I want to relax or go on an adventure?
Picking a vacation has a lot to do with your personality. When you want to unplug from the world, what is your go to activity? If you enjoy relaxing in the sun while reading a magazine, you might not enjoy an adventurous whitewater rafting trip where you have the chance to fall into a cold river. Vice versa, if you enjoy mountain biking in your spare time, you might go crazy sitting on a beach for an entire week. While different personalities will respond to different vacation styles, each type of vacation has its distinct advantages.
For example, some people dream of spending their days relaxing by the beach on a warm tropical island. Many resorts on these islands provide easy access to great food, entertainment and of course alcohol. You can relax all day in the sun and go to entertaining shows, restaurants, bars and casinos at night. You can also explore the local culture of the island and get a glimpse of living on “island time”. While this may sound like paradise to some people, to others, myself included, it may sound boring.
Some people like to seek out adventurous vacations, and I myself fall into this category. While many of my friends are jetting off to Florida for Spring Break, I have planned a trip to a large Provincial Park in Canada. I am planning to spend my time off hiking and wildlife viewing.
The thrill of exploring parts of the world that many others will not get to see is what drives me, and many others, to go on adventurous vacations. While there may not be time to “relax” in the traditional sense, adventurous vacations can provide a new sense of fulfillment and even feel relaxing to those who enjoy them.
All in all, traveling is a personal experience and in many cases there are no one-size-fits-all vacations. With the average cost of traveling on the rise, be sure to consider what you want to get out of your vacation. If you enjoy relaxing by the beach, swimming and catching up on sleep than a vacation to a tropical island may be perfect for you.
If you are more like me and want to explore and go on an adventure than maybe you should plan that hiking trip in the Rockies or explore another country by bicycle. As long as your vacation feels relaxing to you, then go for it and have a great time!
This article was written by Ryan Thomas for Rocky Mountain Whitewater Rafting. Rocky Mountain Whitewater Rafting has guided thousands of whitewater rafting trips on Clear Creek and throughout Colorado.