Work-Life Balance: Book Your Vacation Now
We’ve all heard the expression about all work and no play making us a dull boy or girl. Sure, work is important, but it shouldn’t be the only thing we have going on in our lives. Like everything, there should be a comfortable equilibrium, and that’s what we’re going to talk about in our upcoming series on work-life balance.
The first part of the series is a fun topic— vacation! Everyone needs to get away now and again. Chances are you’ll remember those two weeks in Cancun a lot longer than you’ll recall the latest work project team you were on. Of course, if you are going to ‘go on holiday’ as the Brits say, you’ll want to start planning. While spontaneity is great sometimes, the general rule is that the more you plan something the more smoothly it will go. In other words, book your vacation NOW.
The first reason to act now is availability. It sounds cliché, but a sudden freak weather event or an unexpected convention can quickly suck up all the available hotels. Then you’re left picking over the leftovers (if any) and being glad you got them. It’s not a fun way to spend your vacation unless you’re particularly fond of bedbugs. It’s also said that the early bird gets the worm. The earlier you book, the better choice you’ll have of getting that particular room with the seaside view— you know the one that’s just high enough to dampen the noise from the street, but not so high as to give you vertigo.
Even if there are plenty of accommodations to go around, you’ll still want to save money for the fun stuff like that romantic evening cruise. If you book early you can often lock in favorable seasonal rates that aren’t available to those who wait until the last minute. Many hotels and airlines would rather not take the chance on empty rooms or seats, so they’ll sometimes throw in free stuff like onsite dining credits and category upgrades.
And there’s no accounting for peace of mind. Even though you’re going off somewhere to relax, the truth is that for many people the last few days before a vacation are rather stressful. There’s the packing and the making sure you’ve got everything. There’s making arrangements for pets, the mail and maybe even finding someone to housesit for you. The last thing you want to do is add to that stress by worrying about how you’re going to get there and where you’re going to sleep when you do. When you book early, you do so with the knowledge that at least that part of your trip is already set.
Vacationing is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Make it the great getaway it’s supposed to be by planning early and booking even earlier.