It’s (Not That) Complicated
Mr. V and I are opposites in a great many ways, and our preferred vacation style and location, including climate and weather, are just a couple of those ways. So, one might think that planning vacations that everyone will enjoy would be a complicated affair, and it could be, but over the years we’ve discovered the art (and benefit) of compromise.
When it comes to vacations, I think “global destination” and “new city/country to explore.” I enjoy places where I can be immersed in a different culture, engaging my senses in new sights and sounds and scents. and where I can try local flavors and listen to locals speaking in a foreign tongue. When I travel, I love to learn new things and examine the history of a place. When we travel to a foreign land, we get to see something new, experience something we’ve never experienced before, and expose ourselves to things we don’t have back home. I am assuaged by this daily dose of exploration and the newness of a place.
Mr. V, on the other hand, goes for a more relaxed travel style. His idea of a vacation includes terms like, “warm” and “sun” and “tiki hut bar.” He enjoys exploring new cities and countries and trying new things, but he travels a lot for work; so, his vacation preferences are more about resting and relaxing. When he travels, he prefers there to be only one thing on the daily agenda (other than that first cup of coffee): Lounge by the pool or on the beach and go for the occasional swim. He finds comfort in this routine of relaxation. (My skin crawls at the thought of this daily repetition.)
The Climate of Compromise
Over the years, I have grown accustomed to the fact that I sweat. A lot. (“Hyperhidrosis” is the technical term.) Like, in a hot, humid climate it’s as if someone has turned on a faucet around my hairline. My morning showers are rendered moot, and if I even bother with makeup (I usually don’t), it’s sure to gain a nice, smeared “rough-night-out” sheen. It’s miserable. Mr. V, of course, barely sweats at all, and actually prefers the heat and humidity, loathing any inkling of cold.
So, why is this bit of overshare important? Well, it plays a role in how we travel and how we decide on when and where we travel, specifically in the fact that every trip we take is filled with compromise and peppered with sacrifice. Sometimes I’m prepared to sweat it out, and other times Mr. V is willing to endure a chill in the air.
We plan my kind of adventures during the spring and autumn months because, after traveling Europe in August many moons ago, I know how grumpy and miserable I can get. So, while we might need to take our jackets, and Mr. V may need an extra layer to keep warm, at least we can enjoy the city and its sights without me looking, feeling, and behaving like a swamp creature.
Mr. V will, of course, go somewhere warm any time of year, but he does have a particular desire to break up the monotony of the frosty winter weather by thawing out on a beach somewhere. As a result, you can bet we’ll migrate to warmer weather at least once between December and March. Trips to the beach in the summer have been known to happen, too, and I just make sure to keep hydrated, take clothing I’ll be comfortable in, and wear headbands to keep my hair off my face.
Nothing is ever perfect or ideal for all of us, but we all end up having a great time at some point and on some level no matter when or where we go.
