5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Vacation
1. Don’t set your plans in stone
Much of the things in life, and especially those when travelling, are unexpected. You don't want a carefully crafted plan to get in the way of an awesome discovery. A friend and I were hiking down a well-worn gravel trail in Hawaii when we discovered a faint trail going up the hillside. In wonder, we turned off and followed it up its twists and turns. We found a river with waterfalls and deep pools perfect for swimming! Following the trail further, we also found a look out point over the Hawaiian mountains. Although I don’t know exactly how my day would have went, I do know I completely enjoyed myself and have a hard time believing that day could’ve gone any better following a strict schedule.
2. Stay away from the crowds
Although those travel brochures may make that natural swimming hole beneath a waterfall look awesome, I have found my best memories were elsewhere, away from popular tourist spots. Rocking up to those well-known and advertised spots may be a disappointment when you find a lot of people there, and the attraction to be below your expectations. I like to ask locals of their favorite places to go as these spots tend to be off the beaten path with fewer visitors, as well as being a pleasant surprise instead of knowing where you're headed.
3. Don’t rush
Rushing around on vacation may make you miss those pleasant parts of life, like that little colorful bird singing in the tree or the sea turtle lying on the rocks. Secondly, you don’t normally get to relax, so why rush around on your vacation? Don’t worry about seeing everything, but rather enjoy what you do see.
4. Get away from your devices
Phones, laptops, iPods, whatever it may be. They are all distractions. Leave what you can at home, and what you must bring, use as little as possible. Not only will constantly being on your devices alter the quality of your experiences, it will change the experience of your companions and others around you.
5. Don’t worry about perfection
Don’t obsess that everything has to go well. No matter where your trip is or what you have planned, life will still get in the way sometimes. Instead of having expectations that everything will go without flaw, just hope for the best but be okay with less. A lot can go wrong and still make for a great trip as long as you don’t let those things get in your way of having fun. You had plans to sit on the beach and tan but a storm moved in? how about go on a hike instead? The rain wont kill you.
Written by Derek Beaumont
Derek is a THISWORLDEXISTS Brand Ambassador. You can see more of his adventures on Instagram: @beau__96
