No One Cares About Your Beach Vacation — Neither Will You
Get away from resorts and get messy
Vacations do not have to mimic Instagram — just saying.
Much like our clothes, cars, and the people we choose to hang out with, we’re spending our precious PTO’s on vacations seen on social media. The beachfront resort from Addison Rae’s profile, for example.
There’s nothing wrong with laying on a beach all week, getting pampered like a French King, and eating brunch buffets. I’ve done it, and it’s awesome. But if you’re spending every vacation here, then you’re missing a colossal opportunity — especially in your twenties.
Here’s my argument for why you should get a little messy on your next vacation.
Go on a solo hiking trip.
Go outside the resort and eat local foods and drink at local bars.
Travel to a country you’ve never been to before and stay in a cheap hostel.
Here’s why.
We choose comfort over adventure. It’s a mistake.
I love this line from blogger Tom Kuegler.
“I find it hilarious that we love watching adventure movies, but then the time comes for us to go on our own adventure (vacation), and we want as little adventure as possible.”
I think about this every time I watch a movie. “I want to be James Bond,” I’ll say to myself. “Wait a minute, James Bond wouldn’t just sit here watching TV!”
We often select comfort over adventure. Cancun over Mexico City. Sanibel Island over La Push. Flip-flops over hiking shoes.
Go ahead and choose comfort. You might feel relief from work stress for a while. But how are you growing? What did you learn? What can you share with the world? In my opinion, you have the rest of your life to chill on a beach, don’t waste the present.
Most importantly, nobody will remember nor care about your resort vacation.
And, you know what, neither will you.
Why?
The best memories come from hard work.
It’s ironic how we remember hard work over luxury.
It’s the unique, sometimes painful moments that cause you to reminisce with your friends: “Remember when we did this?” “That was hilarious.” “That was FUN!”
My college friends and I shared one of those moments while hiking Yellowstone last week. We etched out a fast, 6.5-mile loop trail around a small peak so we could head back to the cabin early and drink beers. Comfort.
We ended up missing a turn at mile 1 and hiked a 12.5-mile, out-and-back trail to a place called Cache Lake.
At the time, we were tired, hungry, and a little pissed at each other. But it was a day none of us would take back. Why? Because we found Cache Lake — a hidden gem seldom visited by tourists. A snow-fed clear lake on the side of a mountain — like something out of a Tolkien book.
We got our hands dirty, but we will look back and smile at that moment for the rest of our lives.
That doesn’t happen at a resort in Cancun.
You just don’t know what will happen.
That’s the scary part.
To do something different means to place yourself at risk. The stakes are higher than expected — anything could happen to you!
So, you say no.
In Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, this is called “Refusal of The Call.” When the hero says, “adventure is cool and all, but I think I’ll just watch Netflix today.”
The hero always says no at first and keeps saying no until a mentor shoves them out the door. Gandalf and Bilbo. Obi-wan and Luke.
Let me be your Gandalf for a second and shove you out the door.
Why?
The road will be worth it.
Things might get hairy, but I promise you will survive. At least most people survive. And hey, that’s good enough for an adventurer like you. Right?
Real travel equals hard work. It’s hiking, talking to strangers, asking for directions, trying to find Wi-Fi signals, waiting, sweating, and getting dirty. It’s uncomfortable as fuck, but that’s where the magic happens. That’s the good stuff. That’s when inspiration strikes.
My best experiences traveling came after uncomfortable situations. Sleeping in a tent on a rainy night somewhere outside Forks, WA. Getting drunk at a bar and singing country songs in the small mining town of Pineville, Kentucky. Nightclubbing with locals in Paris, France.
I have vivid memories and great stories from each of these experiences, and each has helped sharpen my world perspective. No beach vacation has ever come close.
There you have it, now get out and explore.
Cal ,
I like to think I had something to do with these thoughts .
Keep traveling . Memories not dreams . Just do it !