I don't like going on holiday. Anyone else?

[MellowExpert]

We are on day 4/5 of a UK break (Airbnb). Husband said do you want to just go home today and I could not have said yes faster 🤣

I just don't like going away. Strange bed, poor sleep, food I'm not sure about (I've got bowel endo and I have to be careful what I eat). Worries about finding a toilet in unfamiliar places when endo flares up, which it always does. It's definitely a hangover from awful childhood holidays with a bullying father and I'm having therapy at the moment to help with anxiety, but don't think I've ever been on holiday and not been tense and wanting to go home from day 1.

Anyone else just not get the fuss about holidays?

Yes me! I don't get stressed, it's not a packing thing, or remembering things, mine is a sense of anxiety, I get home sick, I think. I always call my mum, (I'm in my 40s), and just want the safe, reliability of being home. Odd I think!

I don't like them, for the odd ones I have had it always been me that has had to organise it, pay for it, pack everything, organise daily activities, sort out food etc etc I felt like I was running around like a headless chicken while everyone else got to have fun and relax and I spend the whole time looking forward to going home for a break.

I've refused to go on holiday for over 20yrs now, I've blamed having pets, I won't leave the dog etc
Ad far as I'm concerned I'll never go on holiday again and I'm seriously happy about that.

No idea what that video thing is in my post, or why I've quoted @EmoIsntDead Sorry about that

We tend to holiday with our adult children and I like the holidays for the fun with the grandkids but I don't enjoy the packing and the other tourists being around, shouting and being generally annoying(I know). It also seems to take ages to unpack , wash clothing and wind down when we get home again. Plus I worry about our empty house when we're away, incase it catches fire or is burgled etc.
So, I sort of like holidays and sort of don't. We also go on city breaks alone which I do like for a couple of days before the anxiety kicks in again.

Both DH and I find the planning and preparation really stressful. Neither of us can sleep in the lead-up!
I’m usually ok once the journey has started, DH finds the travelling the worst part.
We both know we usually love it when we get there, but it does always seem very daunting.

No, sorry. Absolute opposite.

Holidays are my favourite thing - If i have annual leave, I am not in the country. Seems like such a waste to sit about the house - I have been doing for the other 43 weeks of the year so I want some different.

TBH I am out somewhere most weekends too, 'pottering about' the house as people call it is my idea of hell!

I second that. We all love road trips round Europe as well, and had a great 3 weeks in the USA, but I’d cruise every year if I could afford to.

Anyone else just not get the fuss about holidays?
Know exactly how you feel. To me having a holiday is not going to work. I think it's odd that people I know with lovely houses with large gardens seem to have to be out the house all the time and never stay at home even at the weekends. I am lucky that we both feel the same and enjoy spending time together at home.

Your feeling are valid so yanbu.
I love being on holidays though I don’t look forward to the packing and unpacking. Also, we have DD2 who has autism so she used to be unpredictable on the flight but now we know the best times to travel, things to pack for her, etc and it’s been easier.
Also, because the children are young, we’ve always gone all inclusive when going abroad so there’s little to nothing to stress about because we read reviews on the food, the location, etc before booking so when there, we could stay in the resort all day. Never had a bad experience but we only go abroad once a year for a week.

We have UK short breaks in center parc and Haven and both have always been fab too because we self cater and it’s food well normally cook at home or eat out if we want but activities, etc for us and the children is in the park

I can understand how you feel because of your health problems, but I think it is sad for you. Holidays are one of the highlights of my life and I can't get enough of them.

same here! I go because my DH wants to go and up until now, the kids wanted to go too.

Just back from 16 days away and it took me 8 days into the holiday to feel slightly less worried/stressed. But it takes mere seconds for me to feel anxious and stressed. I'm constantly having to buoy myself up with positive talk (usually repeating 'only X days to go now'). It really annoys me that my time away from work is spent feeling so stressed and anxious.

similar to you OP, a horribly bullying father ruined the 1 family holiday we ever had and living with his behaviour my whole childhood and teenage years is very hard to undo.

I totally understand op.

I have anxiety, IBS and endo. Going away always flares up my already awful guts and makes for a very up and down time.

I would love to love going away but the truth is that I just don’t. Like you say, eating differently, sleeping in a different bed in a different environment just sets me off.

We have found a way to get over this (just) by purchasing a touring caravan. Means I can bring my own food (I follow the low fodmap diet), sleep in my own bed with my own pillows and we can stay as little or as long as we like.

Can’t say I fully enjoy myself still but it’s a good compromise as dh loves caravanning and we get to visit various areas.

I really look forward to going away, but after 2 or 3 days I want to go home.

We just do lots of short trips.

I just like being at home and it's worse as I get older

No I love it.
But I can remember a couple trips when the kids were very young that were more hassle than they were worth! 😆

I love holidays but I hate flying so I just have to put up with that but I enjoy the actual holiday part.

I like holidays and we go away quite a lot but I'm happiest at home. We bought a holiday home so we can go away and be in our own home, bed etc. 😅

I imagine it's more difficult when you have an illness like you have, as well as a history that adds to your stress OP. 💐

I don’t think you’re odd OP, some people like it some people don’t. Just because its perceived to be the ‘norm’ to like to travel doesn’t mean you have to.

I love holidays, but I do get anxiety, the packing, the travel, the kids, the planning etc. Then I get sad that I have to go home and cook, clean and back to work.

Not sure what to suggest but if you don’t like it you don’t like it!

I hear you OP. But there are a few things you can do to make things better.
Is the poor sleep to do with noise, too much light? I take earplugs, clothes pegs to hold curtains together, or hang towels over curtain rail to keep light out.
Ask for rooms at the back - often quieter.
Check locations carefully- how close to main roads, night clubs etc.
Bring an extra pillow or ask reception for more if you’re in a hotel.
Ask for a fan if too hot. Or extra blankets if too cold.
Do all inclusive then you’re always close to a loo?
Stay in towns and google where public toilets are?
Or go self catering and take your own bedding and food?
Google the foods of the country you’re visiting and their ingredients. Or go self caterpillars and cook your own.
If all the things you mentioned were sorted would you be happy on holiday or do you just hate holidays themselves?
I sometimes feel like you but doing all of the above can push the holiday into “enjoyable” rather than “can’t wait to get home”.

I know what you mean.

Do you know what OP. If you don’t like holidays give yourself permission not to go in holiday. Save some money and spend it on something you DO enjoy (I’m thinking day trips, theatre, music, spa day, day festival etc.- things you can do that are fun but you then come back home at the end AND have good access to a loo!)

You don’t have to go on holiday just because everyone else does. Speak to your partner and be honest. Give him permission to go alone or with friends or family.

Self catering in the UK isn't really a holiday imo. It's basically being at home but without your own comforts.

Another one here who is over holidaying away from home. I still go on a couple of city breaks a year and visit family in the country I live in by train maybe 3 times a year but the best part of any holiday for is coming home. I used to travel a lot and used to have long holidays abroad (up to 2 months) but I don't know if it's an age thing (mid-40s) or if travelling has just got much more faffy and uncomfortable but these days I can barely cope with a 2 hour flight when I used to have no problems flying 10-12 hours. Not to mention spending time at airports, they are such unfriendly and stressful places.

I like the idea of holidays and I do often enjoy them but I have at least twice come home earlier than planned as I had just had enough and wanted my own bed and familiar cutlery and some peace and quiet!

Your feelings and reasons for not liking holidays are totally valid so you are not unreasonable. But I LOVE holidays. We have just returned from two weeks in a hot country and it was bliss to wake up and pull on a swimsuit and a pair of shorts every morning. Our adult children came too with a couple of their friends and it was so good spending time with them all. I think we, as a family, connect more when we are away from home. We have definitely returned refreshed and rested.

No I couldn't disagree more, I live for holidays as my username suggests! Even when I suffered health anxiety and had some issues, I still enjoyed going on holiday.

I think life would be very dull without holidays. I've learned so much about history, geography and wildlife on holidays. My mum had ulcerative colitis so was often in need of a loo at short notice, but despite that she travelled around Europe and went to the US and Australia and New Zealand and was, right to the end, up for a weekend away.

When I was growing up we had a neighbour who was very proud of the fact that the furthest away he'd been from the village where he was born was a day-trip to a (very ordinary) town about 30 miles away. He used to boast about refusing to go any further even when his employers tried to force him to.

All I could think of was lying on my deathbed and contemplating the fact that I hadn't even managed to explore my own county, let alone my own country or continent.

Oh 100% OP. I hate going anywhere - even for 1 night! I force myself from time to time but yeah, not a fan of it. Sleep, food, all the issues you've mentioned. Plus I'm just an introverted homebird at heart.