What Vacation Really Means: You are Going on a Vacation

Reflections upon what vacation means to you or others, has the potential to open a whole gamut of inquiry. There can be any number of vague generalizations about vacations, or a multiplicity of different concepts that are accepted or not accepted, by you or others. These can be true or false and lead to various assumptions about the real meaning of vacation. They may also be applicable with respect to all vacations, as opposed to your own vacation. Or they may be more applicable to vacations that are of individual significance for you as a person, or those taken along with a group.

The question is one of what is a vacation to you. Have you ever stopped to think about what it really means? Probably not, as you may have been too busy planning your next vacation. 

Placing the word vacation on a personal level forces your thought processes to begin analyzing the concept seriously. For example, when you work, not working could signify taking a vacation. What you do during that time off, could be taking a vacation. 

Traveling to a foreign country might be going on a vacation, but so may not traveling, anywhere. You can attend a series of local music concerts during the same time instead of actually working, and consider it a vacation. To you, that may be what it is. 

Vacation becomes somewhat of a mind boggling concept, as you can take a vacation by taking a break from doing whatever has been occupying your time. Most people are busy with work and family. Thus, a vacation can become a priority as it is something that is needed occasionally. In other words, vacation is a time for you to relax or engage in a different realm of activity. How you choose to do that is up to you. 

Did you know that you can take a vacation while you are working? Something like practicing yoga while you are at work can seem to be the equivalent of taking a vacation. The art of vacationing while at work might seem to be relatively non-productive, while in fact, it encourages productivity in other ways. When you are relaxed, you can be far more productive than when you are repeatedly stressed out.

Reflections on the word vacation can drum up amazing images of fantasy playgrounds of the mind for you, or those of actual fantasy playgrounds like Disneyland. The images may lead you to beautiful beaches in places like Bermuda, or somewhere more exotic and exciting. A Caribbean cruise can seem to be the ideal vacation for you or others. 

The word vacation can conjure up thoughts about doing nothing and going nowhere, simply because you do not want to do anything or go anywhere, for a specific length of time. Perhaps you want some leisure time for yourself.

Retirement can seem like a permanent vacation to you or others, a goal to strive towards over your years of employment. Somehow, going on vacation seems to convey an element of prestige for you and others, or some elite aspect of it only accorded to a few.

"You are going on vacation!" That may mean a lot of different things to you.