JJ5

And as for cleaning the house, YES!

But in my case that's cleaning two houses, and especially the floors. It's the last thing I do in both IL & MI.

There is a joke in my extended family and I have paid the price in jestful hilarity over the years. People hide vaccuums on me. And just recently my dear companion of seven, no eight, years told me the first thing my brother ever said to him was "Watch out because she is murder with a broom."

wanderluster

Yes, we often feel that way.
I think its related in direct proportion to how much we plan.

By the time we leave I've planned & analyzed to the point that it seems we've already been there.

(does that make sense?)

seetheworld

OWJ, I too love to plan! And you are right, I do want to go somewhere with him, just closer to home. In fact, I haven't a clue about this place nor do I care to know.

Clean house?!? Yes. Always. In a morbid, 'desperate housewives' sort of way -- if I don't return, I want people to know that I kept a clean house

Tango

I don't want to go when I am worried about money, which is quite often...although I really shouldn't worry. We are always able to pay for the vacation, no matter how much hand wringing I do!

My only issue now - vacation is only a few short weeks away, is that we are going to Florida! I know there is always the chance of a hurricane, but I will worry until up to the moment we actually go! But, do I want to go? Definitely! Can't wait for the sun (very hot in August), the mojitos and time with my family and friends!

mikesmom

The problem with these vouchers is that they have to be presented at the airport by ME! I can't just give them to a friend or donate them. I have to go to the airport and present them in person. Originally I had credits on SW Airlines which were good for a year. I asked for an extension because we didn't have any plans that would work with SW, so they offered these travel vouchers. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the vouchers were difficult to use.

tennislvr1

hey Mike's mom...I found that you sometimes get really, really nice people on the phone at Southwest...call them and tell them that you can't use them and see if they will grant you another extension. It never hurts to try...

kureiff

Completely agree with OWJ, I love the vacations and could sometimes do without the obligatory trips.

We've had six of those obligatory trips six weekends in a row now. Even though we generally have a great time over the weekend, it just feels like work to pack and travel with a 17 month old and the dog!

I also clean the house before we leave; I learned it from my mom. Woe to the person who failed to do her own dishes before we walked out the door! LOL

OO

Re cleaning again...YES JJ5...vacuum last thing, absolutely, and no foot prints after! Thank goodness, now we have tile or wood floors and oriental rugs which won't show footprints! LOL

This cleaning thing really doesn't have so much to do with returning to a clean house, although that's always nice, (but after two weeks it has to be dusted again anyway), it's more seetheworld's issue. If something happens to you/the house while you are gone I'd hate for someone to come in and think I was a terrible housekeeper. Gads...when I leave drawers are organized, refrigerator clean, stove spotless...you name it, it's done! I know it's bad, but there's no way I could NOT do it!

I agree, too, seetheworld, there are two times it's very difficult to leave the kids...when they are very young...and when they are 17, 18, 19! LOL

Get better LoveItaly...SF is waiting.

annesherrod

I Always want to go on vacation. The only thing that stands in my way of perfect blissful happiness prior to the trip is:::
OHMIGOD,
- did I pay the electric bill? Will it be turned off when I return?
- cleaning the house so the house sitter has a clean home to live in!?
- shuffling off kids to grandparents if they don't join us, shuffling off the dog...
Oh work, did I mention that? Is everything finished, etc........

elizabeth_reed

I love vacation . . . but I also really love the comfort/security/familiarity of home. The day we leave for anywhere I'm usually a little weird because I feel awkward about leaving my nest. This condition works itself out in a day or less.

missypie

To answer the original question: YES...when "vacation" is to visit the inlaws at their lake house. I hate it! Besides not enjoying the company, their lake house is a tiny, one bathroom house with no dishwasher. When we visit, we're supposed to do all the "work", so I end up cooking, cleaning and doing more dishes than I ever do at home!

karens

Gosh - I love this thread b/c it either proves that I am normal - or that you all are as nuts as I am!

I get that separation anxiety feeling before all my trips - much worse if I'm leaving with the kids. It's almost like I become really attached to the routines of my life. I think things like, oh, I won't see my friends at the gym for over a week. (Like that's catastrophic!) I get bogged down with all the preparations and yes, house-cleaning, that I wonder why I am bothering with this at all. And that's after totally looking forward to our trip and planning extensively for months. I'm usually the fine the second I arrive at the airport. But also - the reverse happens to me. Once I get on vacation, I usually want to keep on going. If we're out West, I ponder just keeping on driving. By this time, we're adjusted to the travel pace and I'm hesitant to give it up. (Heck, Oregon's only 12 hours away!, that type of stuff). Then when I get home, all I want to do is leave again! And all those things I thought I would miss, seem a bit, boring and unexciting after returning home. I notice this feeling more after being in the breath-taking scenery out West. Then our area looks ugly in comparision.

My husband and I are leaving for Montana on Sat. and I am getting nuts about cleaning the house. I can't figure out why it's OK for me to have lived like this for the past 4 months, but now it's SO important that all these little projects get done and the house is spotless. Well, some of the reason is that my parents will be here with my boys and my mom is probably appalled by the way we live on a normal day, being that you can eat off her kitchen FLOOR. I don't change my curtains or wash the windows 2x/year like she does, etc. It is really nice to come home to a clean house!

FainaAgain

Ha ha, I never like the destinations my husband picks. But we trade those vacations off, like 1 trip of his choice, 2 of mine. I think it's fair as his destinations are always to one spot: casinos.

My husband feels the way you feel most of the times, so I travel mostly by myself (with children, friends, family, tour groups)

suzanne

I don't like to go on vacation when I'm traveling for work. Sometimes I have to travel a couple times a month for business, and to throw in even MORE flights for a vacation doesn't seem fun to me - the constant waiting, waiting, waiting at airports along with barely edible food drives me insane. When I travel on business, I look forward to being at home on my couch, in my bed, and with a variety of good food!

I also don't really plan any details of my vacations until I'm on the plane...or when I get there! That's a little added stress that makes me not want to go. When I get there, there are always a few bumps in the road but everything always turns out fine ("crisis averted" is a term my friend and I use daily on our trips!).

FainaAgain

Now, after reading the whole thread...

LoveItaly, if you don't feel well, postpone your trip to SF! The city will be there for years and years to come

As for cleaning... yes, I get the pre-travel anxiety, but handle it differently. I pack. And re-pack. And re-pack to make sure I took this. And re-pack to make sure I took that. And check my purse 25 times - airline reservation print-out. Hotel reservation. Credit card. Airport shuttle. Small bills for tips. Medicine.

Nice picture, huh Hello, I am Faina and I am a nervous wreck before travel.

razzledazzle

Oh-me-my,
I am in such good company !

Our last vacation was a Luxury Link package up to Stevenswood Lodge in Mendocino. Geez, no planes even,
and we were just were both so un-enthused.
We stayed home and had a fine time
day tripping around the county. We do have to use the LL trip by Nov.31
unless someone wants to buy it ?

And clean, boy howdy, "What will the cat sitter think !?"
That's what crosses my mind...But, OO, don't open that closet door...

R5

seetheworld

"We stayed home and had a fine time
day tripping around the county"

R5: My husband said that last night, "I guess we could take day trips" but said it with such disdain that you'd think it was like prison or something!

Suzanne: My husband travels all the time for business - July, Sept, Oct. Nov....but he still wants to go. I can't blame him. If he stays home, he'll only work.

I just want a compromise.

I've been thinking about this all day -- I think this is the problem...

This will be the the first year we have not done a family trip -- and that's bugging me to no end. I want the DH to lend a sympathetic ear and he's not doing that. I'm having a hard time leaving my empty nest because maybe, just maybe one of the sons will need me for something.

It's all about transitions. I just hate them!

missypie

I have to comment on "What will the cat sitter think?" During our last vacation, we had neighbors come and feed the hamster.
When we returned, they told us how they had "lost" the hamster two times so yes they ACTUALLY HAD gone in every room and opened every closet and cabinet in our house!!! AAAAHHH!

seetheworld

Yikes, how embarrassing, missypie!

I think that's why I like to tidy up my hotel room -- I'm suffering withdrawal symptons from the cleaning fenzy that takes place just before a trip. It's a real sickness, I know!

dcespedes

Yippeeeee...I'm not the only one who cleans before she goes away! This is why I hate to pack--the newly mowed carpet gets trampled to death and our bedroom looks like a cyclone came through and I just cleaned!

GoT, thank for putting out Lucy's 5 cent the Dr. is in cup because you are right on the money about the separation anxiety--sometimes I just want to stay home and nest and we don't have kids!

Great thread, seetheworld!