Ah, vacation. The very word inspires thoughts of hammocks on the beach, quiet days by the river, or the family fun of amusement parks.
That is, when everything goes right. Maybe it’s all of those old TV commercials about traveler’s cheques, but vacation time also seems like prime time for something to go wrong.
After all, the first part of vacation involves travel, and as we all know, travel often goes wrong. From missed flights to missing luggage to a flat tire on a road trip, travel doesn’t take prisoners when things go wrong.
Spending a week in a badly booked hotel, or with people who aren’t the travel companions you’d hoped, is its own kind of nightmare – the kind to make you wish you were back at work!
Work may not be exciting, but at least it won’t put you in the same shoes as these nightmare vacation stories:
Like when Canadian vacationer Ted Hastings’ wife asked him if he should park their brand-new Audi so close to the lake they were staying beside. Of course, he said things were fine, only to be awoken in the night by the sound of a blaring car alarm – courtesy of the Audi, now floating in the lake with their luggage and golf clubs locked inside.
Or the Gibson family, who let their kids stream a few movies on the family iPad during their trip on their journey to scenic Arizona. Only – dad forgot about the roaming charges. The kids watched Shrek, Spider-man, and a few other favorites – costing the family a whopping ten grand.
I think the all-time worst vacation prize goes to the Svanstroms, a pair of Swedish newlyweds with a newborn daughter and a desire to take a round-the-world four-month honeymoon. In that short time, the Svanstroms experienced record-breaking snowfall, monsoon rains, brush fires, cyclones, and even an earthquake. Which does help a little bit with the jealousy we all feel at hearing that they got to take a ‘four-month honeymoon!’
So the next time you’re on vacation with lost luggage, screaming toddlers, grounded flights, and the flu, just close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere peaceful: with four walls, air conditioning, the glow of your computer, and the ding of emails. Desk Sweet Desk.
Happy Monday,
~Mary
