Anyone else find the reality of holidays more tiring than enjoyable?

[ShoopShoopBaDoop]

I have tried and tried to enjoy holidays but the simple truth is I just really don't.

Don't get me wrong, there's lots of places around the world that do appeal to me and I like the concept of travelling and holidaying but the reality for me is I find them all a disappointing experience and very tiring. The beds are never comfy so I don't sleep well, I always have a splitting headache on the day of travelling (which will sometimes last a few days), I find it tiresome packing/unpacking and then the mounds of washing back home, sight seeing bores me after a very short while especially when it's crowded and full of people all wanting to go to the same place and 'relaxing' by sitting on a beach or round a pool makes my teeth itch. Navigating your way around a new area for many is part of the fun of finding your feet but I just find it a major stress-fest and very frustrating (cue more headaches). No matter how much I try I just don't find this the relaxing experience that all my friends do.

I will add that I have adhd and a few chronic health issues which include digestive troubles so travelling to different countries with an unpredictable gut is no fun but I still find the whole experience of holidaying just exhausting and quite overwhelming and it never, ever meets the same expectations in reality as the ones I had in my head.

The older I get the more I simple dream of a little cottage in the country with a lovely garden which I can potter about in all the time. Oh God, I am getting so boring but that really does appeal more than travelling.

Does anyone else find their idea of a great holiday is never the same in reality and that has put you off travelling now? Or did you feel this way and have somehow found a way to enjoy holidays (no suggestions for cruising as I have a massive fear of deep water).

I don't enjoy going on holiday. Luckily DH feels the same as I do. We just prefer home, garden, hobbies and just knowing where everything is. We couldn't afford it when our children were small and now we just don't want to!

I must be the only person on here that absolutely loves the lead up, I love packing, love airports, taxis to hotels, check ins etc -not as keen though to be honest on the coming back and reverse as usually means piles of washing and putting away and that’s just2 of us!!

I'm a lot like you OP. I've accepted that I'll probably never go abroad , but I have no urge to. I love my garden and home. We're on the doorstep of the Derbyshire Dale's and I'm quite happy to go there for a day out. The most I'll go away for is 4 days. I love the idea of it and the journey there, but I miss my animals and my own bed. But it's OK, I no longer feel like I have to justify it. In one way I feel very fortunate that I love my life so much at home.

£10-15k to go to Dubai? 🤯 Is it a football team's worth of people???

Honestly I don't think I would go to Dubai if you paid me £15k to go.

What is kind of amusing is that so many posters are missing the point by telling the OP she just hasn’t found the right holiday yet.

Genuine question- if you enjoy the lead up and the holiday so much, don’t you feel depressed and jaded when you come back

Slightly yes ! We do 3 or 4 a year though , one of 10 days and a couple of city breaks, so I usually have another break already booked

OP there is nothing wrong with staying at home if that’s how you want to spend your annual leave.
I have ADHD too and I find packing the most difficult thing. I do try to make any trips as easy on me as we can afford: 2 bedrooms so that DS sleeps separately, ideally a place with a washing machine so that I’m not coming back with piles of dirty clothes.
But I have also skipped a couple of trips recently. They were just weekends away and DP and DS went without me. It was bliss. I cleaned the house top to bottom on Friday night and just potterred around on Saturday and Sunday. They loved being away, I loved being at home.
I think you should just do what you enjoy. And if it’s staying home, so be it.

Me either it's not my kind of holiday at all. Just a family with children in school holidays at 5 star Hotel. I don't know the full details maybe there is something else that makes it mega bucks 🤷🏼‍♀️

Holidays where I'm with like minded people doing what I like to do are great, even if v active and tiring.

Holidays with a grumpy teen are tedious.

I think it's more about whether you're doing what you like to do rather than the holiday per se. Family holidays with teens are a lot of compromise for us.

On the plus side we all love skiing so that's at least one holiday we all enjoy. The rest are meh.