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Original poster

Do you go on holiday to escape your life?

27 replies

TheOGCCL · 03/08/2022 09:40

A few threads on here where people are placing a lot of pressure on their summer holiday, made me wonder how many people see holidays as their sole means to escape their normal/usual life. One comment was ‘now we are going back to the drudgery’. How bad is your life if you spend months dreaming about a week or two in the sun? That it’s the highlight of the year (no wonder it carries a lot of pressure). It made me feel a bit sad, that this could be true for lots of people.

OP posts:
Peaceatdawn · 03/08/2022 10:01

Not to escape life, no. Its important to find enjoyment in the everyday. I go on holiday for a break from life's responsibilities and to get a proper rest. I'm a single parent so even if I'm off work I'll still be cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. So for me it's really a break from the house and a change of scene. I can happily live without them though, certainly it's not an annual thing for us.
Saying that we're off to the balaerics in 5 weeks for our first holiday since 2019 and I cannot wait to go swimming in the warm Mediterranean sea!

purpledagger · 03/08/2022 10:04

My life isn't bad, but l do look forward to my holiday, as an opportunity to get away from it all - to be able to relax and just to be somewhere different and to not have to worry about everyday stuff for a while.

There is probably a lot of pressure this year, because many people haven't had a holiday for 2 years and with the cost of living crisis, people need to have something to look forward to as the predictions are things are going to get worse.

whoruntheworldgirls · 03/08/2022 10:06

I feel we have a great life, but i still really do look forward to my holidays and am sad when they end. I love being all inclusive, no shopping or thinking about what to cook, warm sunshine but with aircon in the room for a heat break, clear waters to snorkel, big swimming pools with slides for my daughter, all stuff i don't have at home.
Plus i never feel rested at home for some reason, on holiday i do, maybe it's the having nothing to think about, it's nice.

MadameCholetsDirtySecret · 03/08/2022 10:07

We have a grown up DC but hugely responsible jobs. Holidays are the time to get away from work stress and menial household chores.
we have a good life at home, but holiday is another level of relaxation.

Numbat2022 · 03/08/2022 10:10

Not escape, no. It's a change of scene and somewhere to relax and/or explore somewhere new, not be at home with all the usual housework and to do lists on your mind.

MassiveSalad22 · 03/08/2022 10:13

Wow no I have never even thought of it from that perspective. Definitely not an escape, more of a bonus to an already lovely life. Lucky us hey!

MintJulia · 03/08/2022 10:15

No, I like my life, I live in a nice place and generally things are good. I even like most British weather.

The only time I want to escape is February - grim, grey, Xmas is over and months of cold ahead of us.

Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 03/08/2022 10:16

I go to get away from housework!

Am always pleased to get home though

lickenchugget · 03/08/2022 10:17

I go on holiday to spend time in a family bubble, with no clubs, interruptions, cooking and cleaning!

EllenWaiteourkid · 03/08/2022 10:21

Numbat2022 · 03/08/2022 10:10

Not escape, no. It's a change of scene and somewhere to relax and/or explore somewhere new, not be at home with all the usual housework and to do lists on your mind.

Basically this.

We do say, hey ho back to reality, but our reality is comfortable and stress free re finances.

RunningFromInsanity · 03/08/2022 10:29

I’d be pissed if my all inclusive luxury holiday with a pool, beach, sea, unlimited food drink, waiter service, cleaner, and entertainment where I can swan around in pretty dresses drinking cocktails and having everything I want at my fingertips, and no need to pander to customers or work 8hours a day wasn’t a highlight of my year.

user1471554720 · 03/08/2022 10:37

For the posters who answered that they already have a lovely life, what does a lovely life consist of, and do they have enough free time to relax regularly at home?

We go on hols to escape the list of things to do, having to drive dcs to competitive sports and we go on hols to get some sunshine.

We are early 50s, both work full time, have 2 tween dcs. We have to help dcs with school projects which take up loads of time. My 2 week hols in the summer means fitting in house maintenance along with taking dcs on some small trips. We go half board on a sun holiday in June and it is badly needed. I love eating out 7 nights and being able to have a glass if wine with dinner.

We live rurally so don't go for nights out, a combination of no one to mind dcs, and having to pay 40 for a taxi home if I have one drink. Also we live in an area where there is dull weather and lots of rain, so the sun hol is a treat.

actiongirl1978 · 03/08/2022 10:40

Oh yes it's an escape for me.

My life is lovely and I'm very lucky, but getting away from the work, our animals and cleaning the house and cooking EVERY SINGLE MEAL OR SNACK and being able to drink wine all afternoon should I choose IS an escape.

🍷

ScarlettOHaraHamiltonKennedyButler · 03/08/2022 10:42

Not to escape my life but to escape the day to day 'things' for a week or two is always good. No clubs, no playdates, no dog walks, no walking past the mark on the hallway wall twenty times a day and thinking 'I really need to get round to painting in here'...

It's a slower pace of life but mostly we enjoy holidays for the new experiences. We like to get out and do things. Where we live is quite boring so it's great to go to new places. The kids love to swim and it's nice for them to get a new swimming pool that we don't need to drive to which isn't full of people having lessons etc.

Foghead · 03/08/2022 10:44

I wouldn't call it an escape but a break. A break from work and usual family stuff to do something different.
I have little 'breaks' constantly which can be anything from meeting a friend for a coffee to going somewhere for a weekend.
Otherwise life would be constant work and drudgery

LindaEllen · 03/08/2022 10:55

I don't holiday to escape life. Sometimes I do it because I'm curious about other places (city breaks etc) but mostly I do it for a change of scene. I work from home (always have, even before covid) so a few weeks off makes little difference to me. I like to go somewhere else. But I'm always ready to come back when the holiday is over!

CuteGroot · 03/08/2022 11:05

To an extent, yes.

Not because I have no joy in my everyday life, but because I work very hard, long hours, all consuming, and my normal life is heavily scheduled.

Currently away for three weeks somewhere hot, beach/pool holiday….and it’s just a complete exhaaaaaale. Lie-ins, swimming, no schedule. I don’t get this sort of complete physical and mental relaxation unless I’m on holiday, so my summer ‘escapes’ are very important to me.

RightsHoardingRaptor · 03/08/2022 11:21

I go away to get away from the pull of jobs my partner can't seem to get away from. He just doesn't relax. We don't have beach holidays though and take the dog so we just live our normal life somewhere else for a week without the pull of 'I really need to fix the shower instead of going out for lunch' etc

Frogium · 03/08/2022 12:51

I go on two types of holidays - one is for a break from work (very busy and all consuming stressful job) and to completely relax and sleep and get out of the the routine of work-gym-dinner-sleep so in a manner of speaking yes, to escape my life. The other type of holiday is more adventure - e.g. climbing a mountain, ski touring etc

BiddyPop · 03/08/2022 13:06

Mine are time away from lots of things. Dd cannot spend hours throwing a ball at a net in the garden. This year - she spent hours having balls thrown at her but we were a couple of miles away in a separate apartment (she did a training camp, we just relaxed!). We haven't had respite from Dd since covid started and even before that, hadn't had a break from her for a couple of years (we love her dearly but her SEN make her quite intense and we have no family local to us to give us a break and since DFIL died 8 years ago, we hadn't been able to get a night away without her (well, we got 1, which was stressful getting there and so late we had left pool etc to enjoy following day, bad sleep due to overly hot room, and woken at 4am because house alarm was going off and couldn't be stopped by keyholder so we were on our way home from "relaxing weekend away" just after 6am and home less than 24 hrs after we'd left). So for the first time ever, I actually did a lot of sitting at a cafe drinking wine in the afternoon and not doing a lot of tourist things. (Still didn't get much reading done though).

Carrieonmywaywardsun · 03/08/2022 13:16

Holidays to me are for a change of scenery. Just as nice as being at home, just somewhere else with new things to find/try

AppleBottomRats · 03/08/2022 13:17

For me it’s more to get out of myself than to get away from my day to day life. I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with my job but I don’t really have drudgery in the rest of my life. Exposing myself to new places and cultures stops me from being too in my own head. There’s nothing like mountains to remind you that you and your problems are tiny and insignificant Grin

AppleBottomRats · 03/08/2022 13:19

Meant to say - that’s the psychological side for me, which isn’t necessarily the main reason I go away. I also just like travelling, sightseeing, experiencing other cultures etc for the interest of it.

tobee · 03/08/2022 13:24

I go on holiday to escape my messy house and the guilt I feel about not sorting it.

MarshaBradyo · 03/08/2022 13:26

I like my life and actually do appreciate it but I love a holiday for change in scene, climate and surroundings and generally having everything done for me. Plus pool and beach