To not like holidays?

[CouldIHaveThatInEnglishPlease]

Just come back from a week away.
Had a nice time, but by day 4 I was ready to come home and tbh, I am always homesick by midweek whenever I’ve gone away.
I mean I had a nice time, and the weather was lovely, but I just want my home comforts back, my own bed, my own space, my comfy sofa.
Plus holidays are sooo expensive, and it was a “cheap” holiday (1.5k for 5 of us). I just think of everything else I could spend that amount of money on that would last way longer than a week.
now I’ve been home for just 3 hours and I’m already on the second load of washing. This is all I will be doing tomorrow as well - endless washing. And all the unpacking too. I just don’t enjoy it. But dh loves travelling and holidays and it’s just the done thing isn’t it? Having a weeks summer holiday. Surely I can’t be the only one who doesn’t really enjoy going away.

YABU - I love holidays. You’re a freak
YANBU - You are not alone - I don’t enjoy get the fuss either

Op isn't being ungrateful? She's just expressing a preference for staying home. Which is totally fine.

Also, time away from the routine doesn't need to mean going away from your home!

I've no idea how you analysed OP being very ungrateful in general if holidays are not her cuppa atm.

I'm like it too

Like my home

I’m sorry you feel I am being ungrateful and tbf, you are right and I do sound like an entitled cow (oh whoa is me having to go on a holiday I don’t really enjoy). I do know I need to check my privilege as I am blessed that I do have the option to go on holiday which I know many people don’t. However, being a mainly middle-class forum, I thought it would be ok to ask if there are others who don’t enjoy holidays that much, because society puts such importance on loving “travel” that you kinda feel like a bit of a oddball and a freak for not enjoying it much. I’m glad to hear I’m not alone in feeling this.

Although as for your comment on dedicated family time - I’m very blessed that, as a teacher, I am lucky to get lots of time with my children during the holidays, where we can do plenty of days out together. I just don’t see the point in spending thousands of pounds just to be able to do this just in a different country

Why do you bother to going away if everything is such a chore to you.

I love holidays but I do find them tiring. Luckily DH pulls his weight and helps with the laundry afterwards. I don't get homesick at all, but I always find I have a lot to catch up on at home, admin etc, even after a week away. We live in an affluent area and many families go away every single school holiday, or spend the entire summer break at their holiday home overseas. I'd find that exhausting - we do about 4 holidays a year, 2 abroad, and that's enough for me.

I do love taking the dc away and experiencing something new, taking them to places they've never been before and seeing things we wouldn't see at home.

We live in a city centre, so beach holidays are an adventure, but we also like city breaks abroad. We do lots of sightseeing and visiting places of interest, so it's not just doing the same things we'd do at home. I'd find that sort of holiday a bit boring.

I'd consider using a laundry service as an extra cost of the holiday if it's really that bad. I've seen them around our area where they will pick up laundry and deliver it back to your home. Although we always opt for s/c places and pack light, so each person only has about 3 outfits, which limits the amount of laundry brought back.

YANBU, I did a lot of travelling when I was younger, now I can’t be bothered.

At home I can go to my Spa, do hobbies and have lunch with friends. Sometimes we do our hobby somewhere that involves a nice overnight stay. Other than that I haven’t travelled since covid.

I’ve done nice things all year round since covid, like spa/gym membership and membership of another club.

Could be menopausal cba ness, maybe I’ll fancy going away again, maybe I won’t.

There’s no rulebook. For me DC leaving home means I can please myself, understand that it would be harder if you were pleasing a family.

Dh LOVES holidays, so I go away for him and the dc. If I was single and childless though, I wouldn’t bother, just like if I was single and childless I would live in a small flat and not have to deal with the hassle of gardening and hoovering stairs - 2 things I also don’t enjoy very much 😉

Can't you treat yourself to taking your washing to a launderette when you get back.

i think even if you don’t enjoy them you should have them for your children. Which it sounds like you’re doing…
sometimes it can be shit and the washing is indeed shit, but it’s worth it for giving your children a new experience!

I find holidays incredibly stressful. The packing, the entertaining of small DC without the plethora of toys we have at home, the travel, the deadlines (final call!!!) I spend the 2-3 nights before holiday not sleeping as I'm so anxious about something going wrong, spend the entire holiday on anti bac and suncream duty, become a snack-mule dragging around a large mum-bag, then it's all in reverse to come home again to 3000 emails, washing and a house that you now realise smells weird .

Why are you rewashing stuff when you get home?

I do think you can build up holidays too much but the change of scene, different sounds and smells etc are what makes the difference. I never get homesick, always feel sad leaving.

Send DH away with the DC and you stay at home?

Can you imagine what a miserable impression you’d have of your mother if she stayed home because she didn’t like holidays and your dad had to take you?

I love holidays 😊 7 nights is perfect for me, by around night 5 I start missing my own bed, but by then I’ve only got one more day and then it’s time to go home. My DH is much more like you though, and tends to get a bit bored and antsy after about 3 nights.

We got home from a week away early this morning and I’ve managed to do 7 loads of laundry today!! All dried on the line!

I’m the same as this. I feel the most excited and happy on the way to the airport. Haha

YANBU...its almost taboo to admit you don't like travelling/holidays but to me there really is no place like home. I do like going away to a certain point but the money v experience just does not weigh up. I don't yearn to travel, I just think about the stress of it...it has taken to my 51st year for me to be able to openly admit that I just don't like travel!

I have 2 young kids (4 and 2) and we went abroad for our first family holiday last year. I was wondering if I'd hate it, but I couldn't have been more wrong. We did half board and stayed in a hotel. It was brilliant. Not relaxing, as the kids were just turned 4 and 1.5 at the time, but I did no washing, no cooking and no cleaning for a whole week. I would never go self catering, as I don't want to even think about cooking/preparing meals, washing dishes etc. Yes, I had to do a lot of washing at home, but after doing none for a week, I didn't mind.

Yabu holidays are undoubtedly harder work with kids but so important for a change of scene. The dc are 9 and 11 and last year we went abroad for the first time as a family, to Eurocamp. Such a great experience, even the stressy bits. I’d love to be able to go more often. I don’t care that I’m doing laundry constantly when we get back. I don’t remember that but I do remember all the day to day experiences that were different from being at home.

I think Dh feels like you though and thinks it’s too much money and hassle - even though I do most of the related chores! He does it for the kids and me.

sounds like your holidays are just a bit boring for you and therefore not worth the effort? Maybe you should do something like hike the Inca trail or kayak down a big famous river or learn to surf or go further afield so you are experiencing a totally new culture like Japan, seeing Japanese snow monkeys and sitting in an onsen pool…. Obviously all of this is much more expensive as it’s far away but don’t have to do these things in a lavish way and perhaps they would be way more worthwhile for you.

I think its quite reasonable to say holidays can be very overrated, and this forum alone is testimony to that. But the common mentality seems to be a holiday away every year is right up there with oxygen, because that's what we are fed constantly and a hell of a lot of businesses would go broke should we dare so much change our mindset.
I have to say l am happiest and more relaxed at home. Being herded through an airport like cattle doesn't appeal.

Thanks that sounds good will look into it.

I can relate to this. Would you say you’re and anxious person? There are some parts I enjoy like sunbathing, reading a book etc. But im an anxious person and I don’t like flying, worry a lot about hygiene and cleanliness abroad, worry about the food quality.. and yes in my younger days I’d feel extremely homesick on a 7night girls holiday! I find it all quite overwhelming.. I do wonder if it’s just an anxiety thing, maybe something more, not sure but have always felt odd for feeling this way as most people just love being away. I read somewhere recently that people have more comfortable homes these days so holidays have a lot to live up to in terms of comfort of the accommodation/bed.

Now I’ve got a young child it’s even more anxiety inducing, so much more to think about and be aware of.

You’re not alone!

As someone said upthread, if you were away from home a lot as a kid or moved around a lot, the security of home means more to you. Also we are all wired differently. I am finally realising that being someone who is prone to homesickness is not a failing or a shortcoming, it's just how some people are. There's nothing wrong with it and there shouldn't be any expectation to enjoy travelling, holiday or being away from home. Some people love it and that is great for them.
The issue comes when those close to you don't understand and can't relate. So you go on holidays to keep them happy but it makes you unhappy, or at the very least unsettled and homesick.
It's not ungrateful of you, it's just different mental and emotional wiring, plus some conditioning from past experiences.
Homesickness is not in itself a failing or a fault, just a difficulty if your close ones feel differently. I guess a compromise is required in these situations. Would holidays in the UK help, so you feel you could get home if you really needed to? I haven't got the answers, but there's nothing wrong with you.