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

I don’t think you’re a freak. I love holidays but can totally understand that all the planning, packing, travelling might be a pita for someone who doesn’t think the same way as me.

Apologies! You’ll be pleased to know I don’t teach English, I’m a maths teacher (and a dyslexic one too so language rules really aren’t a strong point)

for those saying wait till the dc are older - the hardest was the teenager who complained every-time he had to leave his room. Maybe when they are old enough they can stay at home right?

I’m actually amazed that the pill is almost 50/50. As pp said upthread - it’s almost a taboo to say you don’t enjoy travel and holidays so I thought I was definitely in a minority, so glad to see there are so many of us

*poll not pill

I don't feel I have enough time to sort myself out on holiday. My hair looks weird, I am not making / eating the kind of food that suits me, I don't sleep enough and as the days go on I just feel more and more scruffy and tired. I feel like my brain is full up with noise - where to go what to do what to eat what everyone wants where is this where is that have we got enough of those do we need a shop in fact where is the shop should we eat now and is it too early and if we do will they need to eat again and what can they eat later if they get hungry - and I can never read a book, or just enjoy thinking about things I want to think about instead of things inserted there by practical reality. I can't afford to go abroad on holiday so all this is in the UK. I do enjoy it, because I like seeing different places and getting out and about in good country, I do enjoy eating out a little bit more and I like spending more time with my kids. But the overall effect is that I get kind of roughed up (physically and mentally) and it is not a rest.

Well I might feel the same on a camping/ caravan holiday with 3 kids. They can be hard work.

But generally, no, I can't relate. Travel is fab - new places, new food, new people, good weather, fun facilities, lovely hotels.

I can agree with this, but I echo what others have said, why doesn't your DH go off with the DC and you can relax at home? For me, I recognise that I have a very comfortable home, an easy going pleasant lifestyle, live in a nice area (it actually is a tourist destination ) and the effort of travel, expense etc etc can sometimes be 'too much'. I rarely go away now but my DH is much keener on travelling and will frequently go off for a break either on his own or with friends. And we often did separate holidays when DS was younger, ie; they loved skiing and I don't so after a couple of very expensive ski trips I just dropped out. Our lifestyle has never been so 'busy' that we didn't have plenty of 'family time'.

But I agree that 'admitting' you don't like holidays is often seen as very 'odd'.

I've come to the conclusion that sun sea and sand holidays are not all they're cracked up to be. Get bored after 3 days.
I love festivals so this year I'm doing 3 spread out over the summer probably will cost 2k in all including tickets/ travel/ food/ spends bug that's better value to me than a week in Spain and means I can have 3 things to look forward to.

Why on Earth are you re washing stuff??

I hate laundry and unpacking. I am
always happy to get home. But I also love spending time in a new places with my family and the change of scene. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. I love our family days. As do the kids. When they were little kids, teens, and even at university age.

And looking forward to the break gets me through work. Maybe it’s because you get so much leave in your role, it doesn’t feel like a novelty?

YANBU to feel how you feel OP. We're all different and there is no rule that says you HAVE to enjoy holidays - some people just don't. The lady who runs the cattery that I use never goes away, has no interest, but is glad others do, because it gives her her business!

You say your DH loves going on holiday and that's why you go. I wonder, does he also do all the booking, planning and organising? Do you have any say in where you go, what you do, what kind of accommodation you stay in, etc? If not, would it help if you got more involved? I love the process of researching possible destinations and then planning our holidays. Would you enjoy it more if you had more input?

I don't think it's unreasonable to dislike holidays, we are all different! I think it is a bit different with children though as although we shouldn't martyr ourselves for them if you can afford a holiday then it's a bit unfair to remove those experiences from them just because you don't like it. Maybe 4 nights and something slightly different might be better though? Especially as teen is starting to not enjoy them as much either. Or if the children are a bit older could you and DH go away? Or him with the children? I get the money thing but experiences as a family do make wonderful memories as twee as it sounds- some of my fondest memories are holidays even the cheap ones in a caravan on the chilly coast out of season.

The biggest holiday hack I ever learnt was to do washing before you come home. I thought it was crazy but now on the last day we drop it all off at a laundrette, go exploring whilst it washes or whatever and then we pack the clean washing into the suitcases sorted into who's they are so easy to unpack. It sounds like a waste of holiday time to many I'm sure, but honestly so much better than having mountains when you're home and tired and drained.

For me, the most relaxing holidays are self catering in the UK

More space than a hotel

Short journey there eg 4 hours by car. No hanging around airports

ASDA food delivery to the house

I only book a house with a dishwasher. No washing dishes

We wear same clothes at home, don't dress up for dinner. Not much more laundry than at home. Sometimes do laundry towards end of the trip, if the house has a WM

If the house has a proper freezer, I make most main courses in advance. And have time to.potter around on holiday making canapes. So, nice food but not much effort

It's a change of scenery, a break from chores at home and we can be as busy or quiet as we want

Who takes on the mental load of planning, booking and arranging the holiday and is thought given to what everyone needs on the holiday?

I can't relate to your perspective because I really like traveling and holidays, but I also travel light because I hate the fuss about packing and unpacking.

If I had to do what some Mumsnetters do (eg cases out, outfit planning weeks in advance, cases packed/being nagged to pack every day because it's holiday in 8 days, then coordinate the DC without much input from DH, then be responsible for all the back home unpacking tasks) then I'd probably hate it too.

I much prefer holidays on my own ... do exactly what I want, no compromising over whether it's sight seeing, hiking, beach or whatever. Endless tedious discussions about what to eat - just like being at home. And our lifestyle means we get loads of family time all together so being able and to spend time relaxing on my own is actually far more of a break for me.

I hear you, so many holidays are an overpriced waste of time. I've just finished paying off the 3 holidays I took DS on as a teenager as I didn't want him to miss out (last one in 2019, all 3 in Europe) and, while we had a broadly good time, there is so much more I could have spent that money on. Now that holidays have become even more ludicrously priced they're simply unjustifiable IMO. It genuinely surprises me how many people will pay many thousands for an experience that will be gone in a week.

Yanbu, as a mum a holiday is just as much work as being at home. Just been to scotland for a week, the travel/packing ate two days and honestly, I don't feel like I had a rest at all. Work are expecting me to come back refreshed and i feel just as shit and tired as I did a week ago.

Now my kids are adults I can actually relax and do what I want on a holiday. But even then I'm not a big fan of being away from home. I miss my pets and my bed. 🤷🏻‍♀️. I prefer shorter busy holidays where you eight see then come home after 4or 5 days. I've done 2 weeks in the sun and been bored stiff and exhausted because of the heat. We are led to believe that we should all love holidays but that's not the case.

*Sight see not eight see.

Lots of references to getting bored of a a week or 2 in the sun by the beach and deciding where to eat out every night.

Maybe some people should look at different holidays to do. I would get bored of a week in a hotel by the beach with a pool and so would DS.

A self catering holiday with 5 hours of driving is not a holiday to me. As I’m getting older I’m only keen on going away if it’s a 4/5 star all inclusive beach type place with a few local day trips as I spend my life worrying about cooking and washing and I don’t want to do any of that on holiday. I like the fact everyone can choose what they want to eat and I don’t have to do anything. Everyone can wear various swim stuff and shorts and there’s hardly any washing when we get back. If it’s not that sort of holiday I’d rather just stay home and have a few nice days out.

Of course OP isn't being ungrateful! How ridiculous! She's expressing a preference.

If you don’t like it you don’t like it, there is nothing unreasonable about that but it’s not a viewpoint I share. I live in a place where Summers are generally good and we have our own pool so technically we could just stay home but I still love holidays. I get it that holidays with really little kids can be hard work but I just like experiencing things that are different to our everyday lives.

It didn't even occur to me that the OP was being ungrateful.

We can't go away at all even if we wanted to because of our disabled daughter. We used to but havent now for years. It just became so hard and not enjoyable.

So people saying they don't really enjoy holidays and are happier staying home actually really makes me and people like me feel a whole lot better and takes away some of that relentless feeling of missing out on life.

So whilst I do wish you'd had a great holiday OP, I thank you for making my life feel not quite so crap without them! 🙂💐

I'm not keen on holidays in the traditional sense, but I like to travel to see things. We usually find a base then use it to go on day trips, or we plan an itinerary and explore a bit of the country. We don't have a driving license, so it's all done by public transport (which adds to the experience!). I can't abide AI or half-board or being told where to go or be back by this time...does my head in. I like history, architecture, decent food, sitting in a square with a drink and chatting, maybe going to the beach once or twice but only for a couple of hours...but we only have one child and she's almost grown up now, so it's easier. You just have to find your own vibe. And as for the washing...I tend to do it but he does all the lugging stuff back to the garage and clearing up.

I do like holidays but not all the time. My DH would happily go away every single weekend! And holidays for him must always be extremely active - no resting because that's just a waste of life. As a result I've started to dislike going away because to me it seems a hassle - packing up, long drives, non-stop activities, then all the mess and washing when we get back. It's exhausting! Not helped by the fact I really hate driving, makes me anxious AND I feel bad for leaving the cat. Not to mention the expense - it just feels so extravagant to go away as frequently as we do.
We're away this weekend and yes it's been nice. I like quality time with the family and seeing new places. However, I probably would have preferred to stay at home, potter about in the garden, maybe have a day out. We've spent hundreds in just over 24 hours.

I'm both ways. I love the holiday, but hate the hassle of packing, making lists, getting everything washed that you want to take, making the last minute purchases, just simply GETTING to the starting point of the holiday (airport etc).

Then the getting home and re-settled seems endless. I have a rule that I don't sit down until the bags are unpacked and the first load of washing is on. It's painful in the moment, but there's nothing worse than stepping over suitcases for days on end, when you just want to be back into your routine.