Vacations are something I treasure. It's a gift of time away with the ones I love; a desired pause in life to intentionally be refreshed. Over the years, I've learned five valuable, big-picture tips for planning meaningful and restful trips. These aren't just surface-level packing hacks or budgeting tricks—though those are helpful, too—but foundational principles that can help plan for a genuinely restorative time for the mind, body, and soul.
Tip #1: Understand Our Restorative Rest Needs
When I was a young adult, I kept a busy pace for 5 years, giving it no thought at all. I loved my college experience, my work, and my church involvement. However, my body eventually staged a protest. I fell ill for three months with unexplained extreme fatigue, and after various tests, my doctor concluded I had simply worn my body out and just needed rest. As a result of my experience, I learned a crucial lesson that I carry with me to this day: God designed our bodies with a fundamental need for restorative rest, which requires intentionality and a healthy life rhythm.
(Note: This was my personal experience. If you are experiencing similar symptoms, please consult your doctor.)
Since that difficult experience, I’ve identified my personal needs for restorative rest, aiming to integrate them daily, seasonally, or yearly. This isn't a "one-size fits all" checklist, but a reflection of the rhythms that sustain me. Here are a few examples of my personal restorative needs, to give you a better sense of what I'm talking about:
- Sleep: A consistent bedtime routine that allows for an average of 8 hours of sleep. This helps my mental clarity and physical health.
- Spiritual Time: Regular time with God. Jesus anchors me. He reminds me Who God is, and Who I am in Him. It deeply aligns my heart, mind, and hands with a deeper purpose beyond myself, giving guidance along the way.
- Creative Outlets: Activities that bring life to me (like developing New Day Planners!). Engaging in creative work is restorative for my soul.
- Connection: Quality time with family and friends. Meaningful relationships replenish my energy.
- Home-Base: Two evenings a week dedicated to being at home as a family with no outside commitments. This paces us.
- Adventure: Day trips, weekend getaways, or family vacations. These breaks from our routines provide the extra fun and family bonding we crave.
The goal isn't to perfectly execute this list, because we all have more busy seasons in our lives where we are stretched further than we thought we could go. Rather, the goal is to recognize and respect our body’s need for rest.
To ensure the next getaway or vacation is meaningful and restful, consider the forms of daily, seasonal, or yearly restorative rest we (and our family) personally crave. Balance the time spent together in a way that brings rest to those present.
Tip #2: Communicate Needs and Find the Compromise
A close second to understanding our personal (and our families) restorative rest needs is to communicate expectations with each other what we truly need. I learned this best from my friend, Kimberly. We both worked extremely stressful jobs at the time and needed a vacation! As two single, adult women, we decided to take an adventurous trip together. The planning was intentionally guided by my friend, who understood our need for rejuvenation and considered both of our interests. We didn't try to replicate someone else's idea of a perfect trip; we crafted one that served us. We had so much fun and I learned something about myself: adventure is part of my restorative rest needs. That vivid, soul-reviving experience also taught me a profound truth: vacations don't have to be the same year-to-year or person-to-person.
Vacation is about breaking our day to day routine, in a form that is restful for us (and those we are with). This definition has completely revolutionized my family's vacations, ensuring everyone—my husband, my daughter, and even my aging parents (when they join us)—has a voice. This is crucial because what is restful for one person can be exhausting for another. My daughter might crave a high-energy water park day, while my husband might need a peaceful hike in the woods. If we don’t talk about these needs, we risk spending the entire trip unintentionally frustrating each other.
The Power of Communication:
- Acknowledge Diverse Needs: One person's high-energy activity (e.g., a challenging hike) might be another's idea of stress. Similarly, one person’s low-energy fun (e.g., a museum tour) might bore another.
- Give Everyone a Voice: Before planning, hold a family meeting. Ask everyone what they are hoping for. Do they need adventure, relaxation, specific food experiences, or time together? Write it all down.
- Find the Compromise: While you can’t say yes to every single request, you can build an itinerary that cycles through everyone’s unique needs and interests. This sends a powerful message: "Your rest matters to me."
To create a meaningful, restful vacation, we must communicate, listen, and accommodate everyone's needs (as much as feasible). Communication is truly key!
Tip #3: Plan Thoughtfully
Once we discover our rest needs, and communicate our ideals and expectations to each other, next comes the fun part (at least I think it is)! Planning our getaway or trip in a way that is best suited for our family.
I can honestly say - and I'm not embarrassed to admit - that I like itineraries, AND I don't want every single minute scheduled. There is a time for fun and adventure, and a time for rest. I'd argue both are vital parts of a successful vacation.
Careful vacation planning isn't about control; it's about freedom and smooth execution. Ever found yourself on vacation, realizing that neither you nor your loved one has a concrete plan? Endless circles of "What do you want to do?" can waste precious hours in frustrating indecision. (At least for me it does!) This is especially true on vacation when time feels even more valuable!
The answer lies in intentionality: Thoughtfully plan activities and rest ahead of time to meet everyone's needs.
The Benefits of Careful Vacation Planning:
- Smooth Execution: All the necessary details (reservations, tickets, travel routes) are secured for a (hopefully) seamless trip. This eliminates stress on the ground.
- Balance: It ensures the itinerary accommodates the diverse interests, needs, and energy levels within the group, as discussed in Tip #2.
- Optimal Choices: It allows you to research and select the best possible adventures from all the available options. As a quick side note: when doing research, remember each family is different with different needs. Filter sample itineraries, ideas, and reviews through our own lenses. What worked for them, might not work for us, and vice versa.
- No In-the-Moment Debates: Major decisions and debates are handled during the planning process, eliminating frustrating discussions on the spot, like deciding where to eat when everyone is already hangry.
- Presence and Memory Making: When the logistics are handled, you are free to be fully present and enjoy the experience together, creating memories that last a lifetime. You stop being the "planner" and become the "participant."
If this sounds appealing but also overwhelming, I suggest starting with our relationships! Our primary goal is to strengthen family bonds or friendships while we rest and reset. Plan the activities that facilitate connection and joy—the rest is secondary.
Tip #4: Intentionally Make Space to Marvel at God
During the planning process consider how to create space to be with God individually and as a family. Our trip to the Southwest was so memorable for many reasons but what made it stand out was intentionally inviting God into our day. Have you ever gone on a mission trip and experienced God at work in ways that expanded your faith? So much so, that when you got home, you were still processing everything you felt and experienced for weeks to come? That’s what I wanted this trip to feel like for our family. I wanted God's imprint on our hearts in ways we might not experience otherwise. As I prayed and thought about our upcoming time away and previous mission trip experiences, I saw a pattern that I could replicate.
- Center our thoughts on God's immensity and greatness. When standing at the Grand Canyon or looking up at a star-filled desert sky, it’s easy to feel small and for God to feel immense. We intentionally spoke about these feelings.
- Align our activities with a biblical theme to bring Scripture to life. For example, looking at the night sky while reflecting on verses about "shining like stars". Jesus often taught this way, using everyday things to illustrate a spiritual point.
- Reinforce the perspective that God remains the same—yesterday, today, and when we return to our normal routine. This bridges the sacred space of vacation back to the everyday rhythms of home life.
While on our trip, each person took a turn or two leading our evening debriefing times. We created space for spiritual conversations to occur and allowed our minds to marvel at God!
No doubt this takes prayer, time, forethought, and effort, but the value received in return is priceless! The conversations we had as a multigenerational family during this trip will forever be in my heart and mind.
Intentionally creating space during your trip to marvel at God’s creation is a powerful way to increase your faith and make lasting memories. A truly meaningful and restful vacation is not about the destination or the cost; it's about the depth of connection—to yourself, to your loved ones, and to your Creator.
Tip #5: Be flexible
While on vacation, and I can’t stress this one enough, be flexible! Life happens, and unexpected things occur. Our family trip took an unexpected turn, about half way into our 2-day drive to Florida when the A/C in our car no longer was functioning. We rolled down all the windows and kept driving. By the time we reached Florida, the fun fresh air we felt turned hot and humid. Sweat began rolling down our backs and our bodies were zapped of all their energy. We were now caught in traffic, barely moving, and the 90 degree heat was unbearable. I began searching for a dealership near our resort that could take a look at our vehicle, while simultaneously praying it would be a simple fix.
The dealership we found was fabulous and took great care to help us. In addition to the new compressor we needed (yup, not the quick fix I was praying for), while running diagnostics on our car, they found yet another problem. We also needed new front and rear brake pads and rotors – we were almost braking with metal on metal. THIS news dramatically impacted our family vacation to Florida in ways we could not have planned for. Safety and health were at stake and it needed to be fixed fast.
It took us a good hot minute to regroup and see ourselves out of the disappointment and heartache. But we gathered as a family, revisited our rest needs, ideal ways to now spend our days, found the compromises and re-planned accordingly. And we still had a blast! Learning to be flexible when the unexpected arises will help us have a meaningful and restful vacation.
Conclusion
By understanding our restorative rest needs, communicating our ideals, planning thoughtfully, making space to marvel at God, and remaining flexible we can transform our next trip into a profoundly refreshing experience that fuels our soul long after we unpack our suitcase. I'm already looking forward to planning our next family adventure!
Need help planning your next vacation, download our free guided worksheet.