The best vacation ever!

You went where?

We didn’t really think it was all that weird.

In fact, it was the end of the week before we realized that every person we’d met in North Dakota had responded the same way when we told them we were there on vacation…

They all said, I’ve never met someone who came to North Dakota for vacation!

St. Thomas, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Nepal, the Philippines, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, the Bahamas – we’ve been there. And they’re all wonderful.

But I suspect that years from now we’ll find that our greatest memories have less to do with destinations and more to do with purposeful planning and living.

Don’t misunderstand – I’m not recommending that vacation planning becomes a chore and our destinations become boring. Not at all!

Here’s what I am suggesting – 4 things to keep in mind when planning time away with the family…

1. Get away – for real!

Not to grandmas. Not with friends. Not to amusement parks. Not on busy beaches.

There’s a time for those things – but not if you want to have the best vacation ever!

Great family experiences begin with planning intentional time away with only your immediate family. So we schedule at least 2 separate weeks every year for family vacation.

2. Involve everyone

We made a significant family decision a couple of years ago. We told Madison that she could choose to visit any place in the world that she is learning about in school or at church and we’d do our best to make it happen.

Now, we don’t have a lot of money – I work at a church. Which is what makes this a BIG decision for us. We now have to spend more wisely and save more money so we are able to deliver on that promise. And it’s worth the extra effort!

While we may not be able to travel abroad every year, this decision allows our children to engage in learning about our world and connect more substantively with the family.

So when we began planning our vacation last fall, I coordinated the planning. Sarah researched family fun. And Madison chose key sites and activities.

Several months before our vacation, Madison and I were sitting in Chick-Fil-A on one of our Saturday breakfast dates. I asked her, Where would you like to visit?

She listed several places around the world – I took notes. Then she dropped this bomb – I want to go see where the Indians hang the babies on the trees.

What?!

She clarified – apparently certain Native Americans used to wrap their children tightly and suspend the swaddled child on a tree branch at night to protect them from wild animals. (With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I’m guessing she was learning about Indian life at school.)

Because she was involved in the planning, Madison was very engaged while we were away – and we spent a day on an Indian reservation. During the trip she even emailed photos of her experiences to her school teacher.

3. Plan

If you’re able to relax  – I mean really relax – it will be because you were purposeful with planning.

I’m sure you’re wondering – Why the heck did you go to North Dakota in March? (The average daily temperature was 20 degrees. There was 2 feet of snow on the ground when we landed in Fargo.)

So here’s why – Madison wanted to learn more about Native Americans. One of the largest Indian reservations in the US is in North Dakota. She also wanted to go skiing. And there’s still a lot of snow up there in March.

North Dakota was one of four US states that I had never visited. (I’ve visited Oklahoma since this trip so now there are 2 remaining – Alaska and Hawaii.)

So, with a little planning, I was able to check a couple things off my bucket list, Madison was able to discover more about her interests, Andrew did the baby thing, and Sarah was able to rest.

4. Chill

After spending 24 hours a day together for several days in close quarters – in the car, hotel room, restaurants – patience begins to wear thin. (At least that’s what I’ve been told.) If not kept in check, one explosion can destroy an entire vacation.

So we did several things to keep ourselves relaxed – we slept in, we didn’t fill our days with tons of activities, and, most importantly, we took turns serving each other. Sarah spent the day in the lodge with Andrew while Madison and I hit the slopes. One afternoon, I hung out with Andrew while the girls went to a children’s museum.

Since our trip, we’ve told numerous people that it’s the best family trip we ever taken together.

I’m so committed to helping you succeed in your life and work that we developed the SIMPLE Personal Life Plan Guide and Template just for you! I want you to enjoy the freedom and clarity that comes from identifying your top priorities and I want you to avoid the struggles that I faced personally.

Once you download it and try it out, shoot me an email. You can even send me your draft to review for you. I’m looking forward to hearing about the dramatic improvements to your life and work.