The Daily Question We Dread—Until We’re on Vacation
Every single day, without fail, you’re forced to answer one seemingly simple yet soul-crushing question. It’s relentless, never-ending, and somehow always worse when you’re at home. No matter how many times you tackle it, it comes crawling right back the next day, demanding your attention like like the check engine light in your car you’ve ignored for the last six days.
It’s enough to make you want to scream, yank your hair out, and smash your head through a cement wall. That’s not even a dramatic take on the situation.
Now take that same question and drop it into a vacation setting, and suddenly, it’s exciting. Thrilling, even.
How does something so remarkably irritating in our everyday life become a highlight when we’re traveling?
At home, the question looms over you like a storm cloud. You stare blankly at your options, feeling uninspired and exhausted before you’ve even made a decision. The debate starts, the frustration builds, and suddenly, you’re just choosing the least awful answer rather than something you actually enjoy. But on vacation? It’s an adventure. Do we want fresh seafood by the beach? That little hole-in-the-wall café we walked past this morning? A three-hour French dinner with wine pairings? You’ll happily scroll through reviews, debate your options, and even wait an hour for a table because it’s all part of the experience.
Even cooking undergoes a transformation. At home, it’s a chore—one more thing to squeeze into an already busy day. The idea of chopping, sautéing, and frying sounds like a mountain to climb…trust me I know 😉
Oh my god and then there’s the cleaning up after yourself!!! Constant dishes to be unloaded and loaded. Sink is always piled up. is about as. But rent a charming lil Airbnb with your pals for a bachelor party , and suddenly, the crew is on a cooking show - channeling our inner chefs.
On vacation, we wake up early to visit the local bakery, picking out fresh produce, and romanticizing every bite like you’re in a Netflix rom-com movie montage. No one’s stressed about dishes or cleanup, and even the most basic pizza suddenly tastes Michelin-star worthy. Meanwhile, back home, that same cheap slice is just another desperate dinner just to fill the bellies.
But what really gets me…
Meal planning!!! At home, it’s a never-ending mental load. You have to balance preferences, schedules, and whatever’s currently rotting in the fridge. You’re checking expiration dates, figuring out if you need to defrost something, and regretting past-you’s decision not to meal prep. But on vacation? There is no planning. You wake up and decide what sounds good. You grab a pastry on the way to sightseeing, stumble into a café when you need a break, and book a dinner reservation purely because it feels right. There’s no stress, no guilt—just pure, delicious spontaneity.
So why does this question feel like pure hell at home but an adventure on vacation? Maybe it’s the setting, maybe it’s the escape from routine, or maybe it’s just the fact that vacation lets us romanticize the everyday. Either way, the next time you find yourself dreading the dinner debate at home, just close your eyes, imagine you’re somewhere tropical, and pretend that Costco Chicken is an exotic delicacy. IDK if it’ll work but Imma try.