What is your vacation personality?
I have friends that enjoy planning months in advance to go to exotic remote countries, keeping it thrifty like the locals and going wherever the wind takes them, not worried a bit about where their next bed or meal will be coming from. Vix is a prime example with her annual travels through different areas of India.
Other friends are adventure seekers that like to push themselves to try something new and exciting, often physically like I did with my sister. Or when we went to Australia and went spelunking.
Still other friends splurge on “Champagne and caviar” vacations that only the once-year-rich-and-famous can afford. I was spoiled like this when my husband secretly planned a surprise vacation for me one year.
As I’ve aged I discovered that I’m keen on a variety of vacation styles however the truly restorative vacations for me are the ones where I spend zero time planning.
I just buy the package and show up.
I know resort vacations aren’t for everyone but when it comes to leaving your worries behind none are better. Although I’ve also done cruises like this one in Alaska, I didn’t enjoy them as much as I found we were rushed at each port of call.
We have stayed on resorts in Cuba, Antigua, Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica.
When I’m at a vacation resort I DON’T
Wear Makeup
Count Calories
Or do anything remotely related to work including blogging.
When I’m at a vacation resort I DO
Read lots (6 books this time round)
Go to the spa
Try new foods and sometimes new activities
Remain present in the moment
I’m not a joiner when I’m at a resort.
I want my time to be as private, secluded and quiet as possible.
No pool for me…(I want to be as far from the pool as possible) it’s the beach and ocean all the way. I am always in the shade though otherwise I burn in minutes.
I’m not as keen on doing many tours off the resort property as I once was. Been there, done that. Spending time on a bus is guaranteed car sickness for me so I try to avoid them as much as possible.
This time round we decided to upgrade our room to beachfront and with the upgrade came butler service.
I had no idea what this meant but was keen to give it a shot. It wasn’t 24/7 butler service and they didn’t unpack or pack our bags but they did bring us cold drinks in a cooler on the beach daily, guarantee that the room was perfect, fix any issues instantly and secured the best seats at every restaurant. My husband is convinced he needs a butler full time now. Zoë isn’t up to the task.
Just sayin’.
Here are a few shots from last week in Jamaica where the water was crystal clear, the smiles were friendly and the food was fabulous.
You may have noticed we took our travelling bunny with us.
My husband bought it for me last year when I went to visit him in Hong Kong. It’s a great way to have context in your photos without always needing to be in them.
You may have also noticed that my vacations often look like they are repeat because I’m wearing the same coverup and bathing suit for over ten years now.
Me no care.
I only go on vacation once a year (if I’m lucky) and I cannot fathom the agony of having to buy a new bathing suit each time. I did purchase a new one piece bathing suit this year for the first time in like…forever? Great tummy camouflage but sheer torture when going to the bathroom.
And just for a bit of fun…
What is your favourite type of vacation and why?
Linking up with the lovely Patti over at Visible Monday.
That cartwheel is the bomb! Love the traveling bunny, and the butler service sounds like something we deserve very day, yeah? Wonderful pictures, and so glad you and R got to relax, xox
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
I think we became quite spoiled with the butler service.
Aaaaahhhh…..looks, and sounds, like you had a wonderful, relaxing holiday!
Honestly, I like all the vacations! We’ve done some where we plan every detail, and others (like Paris in 2016) where we fly by the seat of our pants. I’ve never tried an all inclusive, although I think it sounds lovely. Your pictures are beautiful and you look so happy in them!
I’m always happy when I’m on vacation : P
I loved seeing this, Suzanne, although I haven’t bought a new bathing suit in over 10 years…..eeeeek! I think it’s time, eh??
And butler service? Thank you very much, I will take that!! I always feel like that’s what you get on a cruise. Then again, maybe I haven’t had a real one??
I do still wear makeup on my vacations, and I don’t mind planning much of it (can you say control issues??)
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Well I haven’t either : ) We can go swimming together ; P
We didn’t get anything like that on our cruise but they did have good service. I seriously overate on that cruise though. In fact it felt like we ate every 2 hours.
I rarely swim so I expect a swimsuit to last me years, that’s for sure. I got a new one before we moved to China and that’s still the one. ha! Your pictures look gorgeous and I’m so happy that you guys got to get away for some relaxation time together! It sounds like a fabulous trip. I am totally the sort that loves doing lots of research for a trip and lists out all the stops and transfers we’ll have to take when riding public metros from one place to another and puts addresses and opening hours on our itineraries–planning is a lot of the fun of the trip for me! If it were up to Angel to plan a trip…we’d just stay home forever because while he enjoys the trips, I’m pretty sure he can’t imagine anything worse than planning one.
I do think it is much easier to plan now with the internet. When I was travelling throughout Europe it didn’t exist. We would literally take out a map, close our eyes and then point our finger to figure out the next place we’d visit without knowing anything about it.
You and Angel compliment each other so well.
Looks like a fabulous vacation, Suzanne. Love the new swimsuit. And very impressed by that cartwheel. My husband took a photo of me trying a cartwheel in Scotland a few years ago. We were hiking along a cliff area and all of a sudden the grass was so soft and the path very flat and wide. I tried a cartwheel in my hiking boots. Not to be attempted… they are HEAVY. I barely got my feet off the ground. And afterwards Hubby suggested I retire from my gymnastics career! Ha.
Ha ha! That sounds like something I would do. I can assure you, you would have been great on the beach with bare feet.
Cartwheels!?! You are a goddess! I could never do them! I’m in awe.
Great getaway. I feel the relaxation just in these photos and these lines.
Zoe’s face when you told her Robert wants a butler – hahaha!! Priceless.
You probably wish you were still back there. But somebody has to shovel the snow from the driveway. Gaaaa!!!!
I was just saying that the cartwheel was my only trick. I was lame at anything else and was always looking for an excuse to get out of gym.
We haven’t had snow here for probably 5-6 weeks. Thank goodness! Never mind, my neighbour is great at shovelling should it show up again this year.
I love to spend time with friends. I love to meet blogger friends abroad. I live near the sea but I am not bothered about the beach or sun bathing anymore. I just go to the tan bed every once in a while (I know, I know…) and some spring tanning in the morning in the garden. That’s me. Like you said: been there, done that. Even the South of France bores me. Isn’t that terrible? We used to love our vacations there. If ai have to choose: luxury vacations with as little searching for things as possible or being obliged to join things.
I think it is marvellous that you can do the cartwheel.
Greetje
Funny enough I was terrible in gym. Terrible. In fact I can remember begging my Mom to write a note so I didn’t have to go. The only thing I could do was a cartwheel and a round-off. That’s pretty much my entire repertoire.
First off I want to say how impressed I was when I saw you doing the cart wheel. Go Suzanne! I tend to like to unwind and read a lot of books when I travel also. My husband likes the beach and I am less enthusiastic about it, but we do generally do end up at am island. . I am careful to make sure that the beds are comfortable and I do read trip advisor to make sure there are no bedbug issues.
I have never taken a vacation with butler service and can’t imagine that I ever will , but it does sound rather wonderful.
So I guess I am not the spontaneous type. I also like to fly JetBlue and keep the flying time to no more than three hours.
The pictures you took on vacation are very beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing this post. Particularly since here we are getting snow again. I imagine that you are too ?
❤️❤️❤️
Elle
https://theellediaries.com/
The only time I was attacked by bedbugs was at the Hilton in NYC. So GROSS!!! We had to get rid of everything.
We don’t have any snow here…thank heavens! This year NYC got hit more often than we did. Most of the time the snow falls before the Great Lakes and we can avoid it.
Holy smokes Suzanne! Your previous vacation links provided ideas, as well as great entertainment! I think my favorite was where you and your sister took on the Ontario wilderness. You look very cute in a crash helmet and seem right at home in a kayak too. I love your story telling ability Suzanne. The thought of crawling through a tight, cave, passageway creeps me out and makes my palms sweat. This latest adventure in Jamaica complete with Yoga and cartwheels on the beach is a perfect way to celebrate arriving at 51 and a bathing suit that lasts a decade! You look fabulous dear Suzanne.
Sounds and looks like a very relaxing vacation.
mwahaha, so lovely to see all those pictures of both of you enjoying some fab time!, and the bunny!
I’ve been also in a relaxed holiday, doing anything except reading books, lying on a beach bed, and wearing my bikini (yes, I’m a bikinis girl, no matter if they flatter me or not, they’re so comfortable!). It has been really different from my usual holidays!
I usually love to plan my holidays in advance, consult some maps, take notes of where to go or what to do. Then, when I’m travelling, it’s all about improvisation!
Really lovely to see you rocking in the beach!
besos
wow!! sporty!
and cute shots of you and hubby!
love me a nice tropical (or subtropical) beach. but a hotel/resort stresses me – i love to have a tiny tent in the middle of nowhere – and this nowhere can be mountains, a river bank or a forest too….. cooking simple meals on the fire and the whole “household” fit in a medium backpack….. but its hard to find a travel buddy for such. 😉
hooray for bathing suits which last ten years!
xxxx
Get you, doing cartwheels and looking fabulous. It’s the kind of thing I can only attempt when I’m drunk and end up limping for a fortnight afterwards!
I’m completely with you on the blogging/social media break when I’m on my travels. I’m very suspicious of people who post endless photos when they’re away – surely if they’re having the time of their lives they should be living for every moment, not trawling for likes/approval/whatever.
Yep, I’m a book a flight halfway around the world and see what happens kind of girl, no room, no itinerary, no plan. This year was the first time I’d pre-booked accommodation and it felt very grown-up. I’ll be back to my usual haphazard style next year, I’m sure!
xxx
Any type of vacation is my type but usually mine are family-duty vacays. Visiting the mom over Easter but staying in a room at her assisted living center – that will be interesting.
If I had my druthers, my vacations would include 4 Ss – Sun, Sand, Shopping and Shows.
Looks like you had a wonderful vacation with Robert; the sun and sand does look appealing. I was very impressed with the cartwheel!
I’ve never done a resort vacation, or a lengthy trip to an exotic foreign land like Vix and Jon do. I can’t swim or lay in the sun, so beach vacations hold little appeal for me. My vacations mainly consist of me flying to somewhere in Canada or the US to visit friends. I like visiting large cities and enjoyed my trips to England and Paris, which took a lot of planning and reading of guidebooks. I would love to go back to the UK and meet Vix.
Sounds like a wonderfully relaxing holiday, and I’m in awe of your cartwheel. I’d probably need to be hospitalized if I tried one … A resort holiday would probably drive me nuts, though. I love a holiday involving some sightseeing and a bit of walking, preferably somewhere quiet and away from it all. I do quite a bit of planning in advance … xxx
I too love a variety of holidays but for me, you can’t beat doing nothing on the beach (well apart from reading) I avidly gorge on Vicky’s India adventures and have enjoyed similar kinds of trips myself but when push comes to shove the Caribbean is the best. I’ve travelled to quite a few of the islands but Jamaica is best for total chill out. I spend most of my working life sorting things out for other people so I absolutely love the luxury of this kind of resort holiday. It’s my annual battery recharge x
Sometimes when I take other holidays I get home and feel like I need to take a holiday from the holiday! With this kind of vacation I’m like you, recharged.