Vacation Ratio

Today I am going on a two-night trip with the family. The destination promises to be lots of fun. But it takes a lot of research and planning to figure it all out. Then there is the packing and the traveling to and fro, including airports and rental cars and traffic and things that aren’t much fun.

I figure we will sacrifice about three normal days to make two of our other days extra good. Is that worth it?

A month from now I know I will remember the good times and not the sitting at the airport. So the memories will be good. I have a theory that most vacations are about memory upgrades. You become a different person after each trip, literally, as your brain takes on new shapes and chemistry from each experience. I think the selective memory phenomenon is what makes three bad days of planning and travel a worthy trade for two good days of actual vacation.

Clearly there is something wrong with me. But if you are reading this blog, you probably have it too.

Comments

[John]

Well, personally, I would rather simplify my life to such an extent that a vacation is never really desired. I would have no real need for a break, since I have no stress. All memories of pain would be subsumed by the relatively strong magnetic pull of the earth.

[Vijay]

You are right about memory upgrades. That is what schizophreniacs should do - take vacations. But you know the worst problem with all these schizophreniacs is that their other brain dominates and they remember only the time that they spent in the airport with an itch in their back!

[Elise]

The selective memory phenomenon also applies to moving into a new house. You only remember the newnessy of it all and not the carrying forty heavy boxes and an array of furniture.

[Dave]

My best memories are of times where I went out and did something with very little planning and research. The less you know about what you are about to experience before you experience it, the more surprising and exciting the whole thing is, which creates a more lasting and vivid memory.

[Freddie]

It's not worth it, but you have no choice. You have no free will. Give it up and quit bitching. Oh, that's right, you can't.

[Anarchy In Your Head]

Reminds me of that floating brain theory you talked about recently. Perhaps the experience of the passage of time and all of your life up to this instant is just an illusion and you're actually just a sudden flash of memories that manifested out of nowhere in an endless universe where everything eventually happens.

[Vacation]

With my recent experience I can suggest to take your family to Loire Valley. This is one of the best vacation spot I've ever visited.

[Jay]

No Scott, you're the only one like that.

Nah, everyone (at least I am) is that way. Except for when we get home and have to unpack, that seems to be the only part I remember after that :(

[Jan]

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.”
-- James Oppenheim

[John Hewitt]

You should try getting a Virtual Assistant, like the ones at getfriday.com. They could plan things like vacations for you. Would it be an improvement? Who knows? But, it would certainly make for fodder for the comic strip.

[well, yes.]

If it involves having your batteries recharged on a sun-splashed beach for two days, it's well worth the trouble. Can you plan my family's vacations too, Scott? And send us a check to pay for it? Pretty please? :/

[Jesus]

At least you have vacations!

[shopping cart]

Yes you are right.

[Sharmila]

Most of us remember pleasant experiences as they provide solace to us and the memories associated with vacations remind us of our good times. The best part about vacation is that time is at our disposal which otherwise is a rarity in our normal daily schedule. Most of us have hectic life schedule which drains us physically and mentally thus even a small trip helps us in rejuvenating our body and mind.Thus a couple of days of planning is worth the trip.

[Harald]

The economics of your trip get better if you are not just going on a trip for two days. Don't be so cheap...

[PaulyB]

Sacrifice two "normal" days of what?
Sitting in the office drinking coffee and staring at an empty inbox?
I'd rather be with the kids in an airport lobby watching planes take off.

[Ron]

Depends on how bad the travel is. If the trauma of getting there is more memorable than whatever you were planning to do on the vacation, you'll remember the trauma.

You're just betting that the annoyance of travel will be less than the good of the trip. Usually a good bet under normal conditions. But get trapped in an airport for several days in a snowstorm or something, and the pattern won't hold - you'll remember sleeping on the floor of an airport for the rest of your life.

[Sham]

From a performance improvement perspective, your experience should help you massively reduce your common 'administrative' tasks such as packing and car rentals.
I suggest:
- Pre-packed suitcases for different vacations whether it be 'sunny holiday', 'ski-trip', 'tools to keep in-laws at bay',etc.
- Incentivise Billy at the Car rental agency to always give you the best car at the best price (after all, most car rental agencies promise that anyway!)
- Identify a good travel agent and make him / her a close friend to sort out flights and hotels
- Use waiting time at the airport to do some research for your next holiday
- Hire a geek programmer to develop a Web 5.0 type tool that 'experiences and learns' your preferences of travel and times of travel in the year and can then book your holidays for you for the next 10 years including all the administrative tasks - all you have to do is point at the suitcase you want to take when the chauffeur arrives at your door to collect you and the family for the drive to the airport...

[Mike]

Is this similar to the birthing experience (I'm a man, but Scott already knew that). The niceness remembered and the excruciating pain forgotten?

[Shivam]

yes.

[phastphil]

How much worse are the 'sacrificed' days than your everyday-life days? If they're disproportionately stressed, maybe it's not worth it. But I bet they're not much worse than any other day -- just a different focus. So it's worth it.

This could be a good game. How long do you have to stay in a particular destination to make it worth the planning? Hawaii is pretty easy to plan. Two days in hawaii is definitely worth the planning. Columbia, while amazing, requires some forethought. I'd probably want to stay for at least two weeks to feel like it's worth the effort.

[naveen swamy]

FIRST!

[Djimbo]

Wasn't this the business model in Total Recall - don't go on vacation, just get the memory implant?

[Sushil]

Agree. Selective memory makes it seem worth it. Why else would someone spend 2 months planning for a 15 day holiday in Egypt, checking out people who kept planning on how they would die...(I am sure the pharaoh's also had a selective memory disorder which made them think 'death is fun'!)

Sushil

www.doodlewala.com

[Djimbo]

Isn't this the business model in the movie Total Recall?

[Tim]

I read somewhere that your brain will always remember that positive experience over the negative, but it also has something to do with which came first. e.g. if your bad three days came after your two days of good times you would remember the experience as a bad holiday. A better example is if you road a push bike to work every day and your home and work were on the opposites sides of a hill. Each day you would have to ride to the top of the hill before you rolled down the other side to your destination, but because rolling down hill is the last thing you experienced from the task you remember it as positive. On the other hand someone that lives at the top of a hill and has to ride into a gully then back to the top of a hill to get to work is much more likely to find the whole thing a lot more negative even though in reality they had a similar ride just in a different order. This can be put to good use if you think about it. Why not get up early and do all those things you've been putting off instead of leaving them til the end of the day say after work and use this time to relax(or take a nap depending on how early you got up), when you look back you will remember the day in a more positive light.

[Timothy Fridey]

I read somewhere that your brain will always remember that positive experience over the negative, but it also has something to do with which came first. e.g. if your bad three days came after your two days of good times you would remember the experience as a bad holiday. A better example is if you road a push bike to work every day and your home and work were on the opposites sides of a hill. Each day you would have to ride to the top of the hill before you rolled down the other side to your destination, but because rolling down hill is the last thing you experienced from the task you remember it as positive. On the other hand someone that lives at the top of a hill and has to ride into a gully then back to the top of a hill to get to work is much more likely to find the whole thing a lot more negative even though in reality they had a similar ride just in a different order. This can be put to good use if you think about it. Why not get up early and do all those things you've been putting off instead of leaving them til the end of the day say after work and use this time to relax(or take a nap depending on how early you got up), when you look back you will remember the day in a more positive light.

[Laj]

I thought the three days of "hard work" feels like fun when you're planning for two days of vacation...

[Laj]

I thought the three days of "hard work" feels less like hard work when you're thinking about the vacation time ahead...

[Justin]

Sometimes the packing and planning can add to the enjoyment of the whole trip. I'm a climber, so planning a trip and packing my gear involves a lot of enjoyable research and imagination.

Packing each item of gear not only stimulates imagination about how I'll be using it, but brings back good memories of how it was used on previous trips. For instance: Tent (good thing I mended that hole where the wombats tried to get in), rope (held two scary falls out at Mt Victoria, I wonder what lives you'll save this time), First Aid kit (Good thing I checked, I'll need some more Imodium).

I don't consider the planning and packing to detract from the experience. To quote the guy from The Simpsons "And now the moment - greater than the moment of climax: The Moment Of Anticipation..."

I hope you enjoy your trip.

[pompomtom]

If you really want to optimise the exchange, get someone else to do all that planning.

[swio]

I remember some research about how happy people were during a holiday. They measured people's happiness leading up to the trip, during the trip and afterwards. Re-inforcing your theory people's happiness was lowest during the trip itself as the inconvinences and problems they faced seem to be a problem. In the leadup the anticipation of getting away made them happy and afterwards the memory of the bad parts was overwhelmed by the good memories.

[pam]

i love you, dude.

[David O]

That's why you don't go to Amsterdam from the UK by coach - it's even worse than it sounds.

Most times, though, getting stuff ready /is/ fun. Not forms and stuff, but packing and planning, definately.

[Joshua Jacobsen]

I generally hate travelling vacations, for the very reasons that you mention. Spending a lot of money to throw an entire day away and be nowhere near my computer... big waste of time and effort in my book.

[Andrew Kun]

Gotta go on longer vacations. That'll give you a better ratio.

Also, don't you find you need a week to unwind from work and only the second week of your vacation is truly relaxing?

[Cristin]

If you were holidaying in my hometown and we ran into each other and you refused to give me an autograph, would I still continue to come here?

[Elit Alice]

oh come on, we would do MUCH worse things for a little good time than sitting on the airport. :P

like.. i always eat the whole cake, even if i know i will have to starve myself in the next two days! :D :D
although you might think its not as bad as waiting at the airport. for me, waiting at the airport is a precious time, when i can read or think without being distracted by the internet. IF i dont have my laptop with me, of course. if i do, then again, its like sitting at home, not too bad at all!

[Craig Steffen]

Clearly there is something wrong with me. But if you are reading this blog, you probably have it too.

No, actually. I enjoy planning for travelling, I think that's part of the fun. I love looking at maps and planning routes. Modern mapping technology has added the dimension of attempting to construct better routes. Possible, but mostly doesn't happen.

I enjoy the travelling part. Not so much the cramped seats, and certainly not the security, but I like sitting around airports because I have the wonderful freedom that there's absolutely nothing productive I can be doing, so I work on my web site or do other frivolous things.

And I love driving cross-country.

[Mark Robinson]

Sounds like you *need* a holiday...

[Pontus]

Your blog attacks me in ways that makes me feel special. These are the type of ideas I think about all the time, and what makes me intolerable to the women! That's one of the ideas too, just more self-handicapping!

[Sandy]

Mark Twain said “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” We should add 'bad-memory-reference pointers' to the list!

[Brain Man]

When creating the memory of how pleasant or unpleasant an event was, the human brain takes the average of (1) how it felt at the best or worst point, and (2) how it felt at the very end.

This is known from brain research, no kidding. (Sorry, I don't have the reference, please look it up yourself.)

When performing a painful examination (say a rectal exam), doctors who know this effect will artificially prolong the exam so that the patient has a not-so-unpleasant final feeling about it, which will improve that average. (This is helpful because usually you can't easily improve the worst moment of the exam.)

For vacations and other hopefully happy events the best strategy is therefore (1) to enjoy a very happy best moment and (2) to leave on a happy note. You say vacations are about memory upgrades -- very true. Even better, you can optimize those memories!

So, have a nice [memory of your] vacation!

[trafficduck]

Actually I think any new experience, even trivial, rewires you. But for the rewiring to be permanent, either the experience has to be a real epiphany, or you have to repeat it a zillion times.

So this little trip, banal in itself, won't make any lasting difference. Unless something happens! I hope not, though...

[Robert]

I remember childhood trips to Disney where my dad would start reading guides months in advance to plan each day to avoid the lines. I honestly think that that was the part of the trip he enjoyed the most.

[Diana]

I thought I was alone in this. I love to travel yet hate the process. I have a minimum time required after each trip in order to forget all the inconvenience and frustration involved with travel. It is usually 3 months. Then I am ready to get back in the car/plane.

[The Lazy Organizer]

It's true. Vacations are about 80% misery but aparently they're worth it since we keep doing them.

[wild bill]

Is sacrificing 3 normal days for 2 extras good ones worth it? My normal days suck, so YES!!!
If I were a millionaire cartoonist? Maybe.

[James Jefferson]

One of my favorite sites is Damn Interesting which had a nice write up of the favor you did for them. You're a good guy Mr. Adams. Kudos to you.

[David]

I remember sitting at the airport.

[Ariel E. Meilij]

I just came back from Bavaro, Dominican Republic, from a business trip. The place is - for all of you who don't know - a vacation paradise. Yet I spent a week working 14 hours on business deals, and countless other hours filling reports on my laptop while waiting for airplanes. I do this 2 or 3 times a month, spending up to 75% of my time outside my home/office.

To me a perfect vacation would be to slack off in my apartment, watching TV and away from PowerPoint slides or Excel worksheets.

Bavaro was nice though, you should all visit it some time.

[Vijay]

I remember the two days after I am back from the trip. I remeber the three days when I have to make the next trip

[The Big K]

[Hopes to be the first commenter]

Hi Scott,

If you become a different person. May I take your place and start making millions by drawing Dilbert?

Thanks,
The Big K

[JodyTheBad]

There is definitely a higher value associated with rare-happy memories over everyday-happy memories, and I agree, that is what offsets the aggravation of planning for and executing a vacation.

What is definitely NOT worth it (in my world) is planning and executing a formal dinner party. The amount of planning and stress that goes into a dinner party (days and days worth!) could never equal the few hours of happy memories from that party, especially when we could all eat out at a restaurant.

[Ondrej Mitas]

Scott, funny enough, this is exactly (almost word for word) my forthcoming dissertation topic. So, in about two years, I should be able to let you know.

[caloosarat]

Sounds like the normal ratio for any software upgrade. Three days of labor for two days of output. What is wrong with that? Unless the upgrade fails and then never does work properly, in which case you name it something like Vista and promise that the next version will address the glitches. ~Caloosarat

[DD]

The really scary bit is when you remember the transport part of a trip better than the destination. That can apply more to work travel though. I remember once enjoying waiting for a delayed flight after coming out of a nightmare meeting with a client. They had just had a video conference drubbing from their head office and to top it all the alleged problem did not even come from my area! OK, that probably means the selective memories can be relative.

[Manion]

Well, whatever it is, I have it to.

I am flying out to Singapore for a few days in May, and I have been planning, outfitting, packing and prepping for about 6 weeks already...

[None of the above]

No, I think you have it exactly right. Selective memory + it's worth losing three drossy days in order to get two good days out of it.

[rick]

Scott, I do agree with you about the 3 or 4 days of scut work before getting to your destination. But that's all the more reason to take fewer but longer vacations. I've found that the scut work doesn't really expand much if at all as you prepare for longer vacations. That way you get more "good" days for the "bad". Yes, sometimes you just need a short break to get away but for me, that's just too hectic to make it worth while.

[obiDonWan]

so--nobody leaves comments because Scott's gone?
I had the same thought last time we went away, in late Feb, but we got 7 days in return for 3 bad days of transport, and even those weren't terrible. Scott is a male drama queen about the "bad stuff" he suffers through in order to do his art.

[Mike]

Investing 3 days of agony for 2 days of fun is a really bad deal, unless the fun is guaranteed to be unforgettably great. Which is unlikely. But let us know where you are going if it is.

Counting on your selective memory to kick in won't work either, because that takes a long time; besides, by then even the most horrible travel experience will seem funny and give you a good feeling, so you better hold on to that memory.

I suppose an acceptable agony/fun ratio is about 1 in 5, otherwise it will feel like constant stress: as soon as you get there you will start worrying about going back, leaving no room for relaxation and pleasure. And you are paying good money for that privilege.

[Debi]

But the planning seems to be more fun than the vacation. The travelling usually isn't. I hate waiting at airports and try to travel by train for short distances.

BTW I am at India.

[Matthew Kovich]

Yeah, I have it too.

Sometimes it itches if I forget the topical cream.

[Greg]

Maybe it won't be wrong with you by the time you get back.

[Jeff]

Two words: longer vacations.

[Matt]

Selective memory is why we all continue to have kids as well. Forget the bad, and remember the good.

[Andreas Toscano]

I think it's worthy. I have just spent 2 months of my life working on a 75 second long parody of a commercial. Remember that DOVE Evolution ad? Maybe not... ;-)

Anyway, this is what I'll remember for the rest of my life:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jSFD0Ni7miA

Not all the sleepless nights trying to get it done...
Congrats, man. What differs the ones who accomplish from the rest is the capability to make sacrifices. Success is built while others sleep.

Cheers,

A

Ps - BTW, any chance of spending time writing a third book? I mean a sequel to The Religion War.

[Jostein the Norwegian]

You forget one factor in the calculation: All the weeks or months you'll be happier staying at home after the trip, than if you didn't take the trip. Because that's what travelling is about: reminding you of how nice it is at home.

[kromagon]

Jesus, Scott, you are a millionaire! Quit being such a cheap bastard and hire somebody to plan the trip! Charter a jet to get you there! Get a dang driver!

You are 51 years old- you have 50 years, tops, to spend that money. In reality, those last 10 years or so you will be too trashed to enjoy it, anyway.

This brings up the tragic paradox of wealth: the only people with the discipline and insecurity sufficient to become fabulously wealthy are so goal obsessed and/or terrified of losing it all that they can't suddenly stop, do the math, and decide to spend the rest of their lives chilling out and enjoying the filthy mammon. There are exceptions, of course, but most of the successful can never be satisifed and comfortable. I mean, look at Eliott Spitzer.

SCOTT: hire the people to take care of it. Spend the money. In the next 2 hours, you might get hit by a truck or die of an undetected, skanky disease. Your last thought won't be of how lucky you are that you didn't splurge on a charter plane or an event planner, I gaurantee it. Live while you can, you bespectacled, veggie doofus.

[workerant]

Holidays are very stressful especially the ones involving airports because of the inherent unreliability of air travel and the 'couldn't care less' attitude of the staff who blithely tell you that your plane is going to be three days late and your luggage will be in Abu Dhabi for the winter.

[Volker Hetzer]

If you don't like planning and travel then maybe you should spend your holidays differently?
For me, selecting a destination, figuring out the luggage and experiencing the bustle at the airport is part of the fun.

[Jon]

My wife enjoys planning vacations. She will spend happy hours on the Internet booking trips and working out where we are going to be and what we are going to be doing every hour of the day. It's a genetic thing -- her family all do it too. Maybe a female thing too, like shopping. She enjoys the planning much more than the holiday itself. Her idea of a perfect holiday is one with no surprises whatsoever.

I like to drive for a while, stop anywhere that looks nice, and find a place to stay wherever we happen to be when it gets dark. My accommodation may be a little more crummy, but I enjoy the sense of uncertainty and adventure.

[Kingsofnowhere]

If selective memory can make two good days of vacation make up for three bad days of planning - I want whatever you're drinking.

[iseejou]

you always have a theory, scott

[Marie]

I think you have to enjoy the process. Even the airport part.

For me, sitting in an airport, getting a cookie from Mrs. Fields, reading a magazine, using a different bathroom, talking to my family when I usually wouldn't have time - that would be a luxury, very enjoyable.

[Luis Frost]

!

[Sondra]

Actually, I enjoy the research and planning, so it's win-win for me.

[Les]

Back in college I took a trip to Europe for a semester. One of the things I realized very quickly is that memories of places are far sweeter than any souvenir or photograph. Both are nice, but as you say - it's the experience you take in that makes it so worth while. I tend to think pleasant experiences brought forth by personal effort are even better. I hope you have an enjoyable and peaceful trip.

[Alex K]

Three days to plan a vacation? I know someone like you could do better, Scott.

[rwc]

You just need to up your ratio of fun days to PITA days.
We shootl for a minimum of a week and never stay in one place for less than that (i.e. no hotel/town bouncing unless we're going for two weeks or more). Of course, having just returned from 11 days on Kauai I might be biased...

[Evil Mike]

Yes, it's worth it. : )

[Paranoid Individual]

You also have to take into account the pre-experiencing and post-experiencing of the holiday. The days leading up to the holiday are of a slightly higher standard because you are IMAGINING and looking forward to being on holiday, and the days after are also of a higher standard as you tell others about it and wallow in the good memories.

Memory upgrades! Thank you for creating a term I can use for it. *____*