Whats the longest you've gone without a vacation? (cruise, cost, hotel)

[Sweetbottoms]

Just curious whats the longest you've gone without going on any sort of vacation/getaway?

I'm coming up on 6 years of not even leaving my town and I'm starting to feel stir crazy. Its not particularly by choice but I had a kid, husband works odd hours and just a lot of things have come up to where we really haven't gone anywhere at all. My hubs is going on a mini vaca to NH in 3 weeks for 5 days (we are moving he's going up to look around visit some friends etc) but I'm staying home with the baby. I should have said screw it and bought my ticket with his but its too late now it'll cost me close to $1000 to buy two more tickets! Plus I started a new job in April so couldn't really take the time I suppose. I'm a bit bummed to say the least.

So tell me whats the longest you've gone ?

[Granny Sue]

My longest time as been 8 years I believe.
We were very very broke for a long time so there just wasn't any money to go.
We now try to go at least one place each year.
We're empty nesters now so it's easier and we have more disposable income.

This year was a cruise in Feb, one week to Alabama (land hunting on that one) then a week with the grands.
DH is up with the grands right now so I'm kinda on vacation.

Not sure what's on the agenda for next year.

I understand your frustration. Try a few three or four day weekends. That might help.

[odessa3]

We had been very fortunate to be able to go on vacation every year. Last year, however, our home was wrecked by the Tropical Storm Lee flood, and we cancelled our planned vacation, instead spending it gutting our home. So it's been over 2 years now, and will be over 3 before we can get away some time next year. We still consider ourselves fortunate, as so many people do not have the opportunity to vacation.

[mdp_az]

I am blessed! I cannot remember a year in which I didn't take a vacation. In most years we take 2 5+ day "big" trips as a family to somewhere like Florida or DC and go on 4-6 weekend/long weekend trips to nearby areas like the NC mountains or coast. I also take 1 big trip every 18-24 months with buddies to climb mountains somewhere in N. America or Europe. I also try and spend a couple of weekends backpacking or paddling in the wilderness close to home. This is all travel on my time and my dime. In addition I travel 1-2 times per quarter for work and right now and typing this from my hotel in San Francisco.

I grew up middle class and, outside of the few years we lived overseas and travelled extensively, we always took a week for the beach in the summer but little more. I decided I wanted more out of travel than a week at the same beach house every year so my wife and I have made travel a priority in our lives. I get 20 days of PTO each year and maximize the heck out of that time off. Thankfully I'm rarely sick so I don't eat up many days with time off for illness. I love where I live, but I can honestly say I would go absolutely stir crazy if I didn't leave my town for years.

[cpg35223]

Four freaking years. I thought I was going to go all Texas Tower Sniper there for a while. I worked at this job that was constant pressure and freakishly insane deadlines. Finally one day, I walk in and said, "I'm going on vacation to New Zealand for three weeks."

"I'm not letting you do that that."

"I'm not asking permission."

So I went, had a great time and came back to quit my job. Now, no matter what, I take one real deal vacation a year. Not a staycation. A real one.

[chielgirl]

In the past 5 years? 10 days.
I consider my weekends vacations because I travel to other cities/countries.

Even when I was dirt poor, I camped on weekends when I could or visited friends out of town.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by chielgirl

Even when I was dirt poor, I camped on weekends when I could or visited friends out of town.

Yes.

We camped a lot when we were young, and continued when we had little kids. We simply did not have the money to fly to other destinations, whether in or out of the country. As long as we had gas, we could go up to the mountains and car-camp, or drive down to New Mexico (Santa Fe and ABQ) to see family there just for a long weekend.

My husband's parents paid for a couple trips out to Florida when our kids were little, and this was especially nice for spring break when I was sick of Colorado snow.

So we always took *some* time off work for some kind of vacation.
But from the time we got married until our older son was 11 years old, we did not take our own planned-and-paid-for trip out of the country. There was a period of about 12-13 years between our Caribbean honeymoon and the European trip with our 11 year old.

[415_s2k]

I haven't had a proper "vacation" since '07, and that was just back home to Boston and a couple days in NYC.

Now, between now and then, I've moved from SF to Seattle and back to SF and then down to LA; I've also been out to Vegas a few times for 2-3 days, went to Victoria and Vancouver, B.C. plenty of times, and have been to LA or SF from the other a few times. I've driven out to San Diego, Joshua Tree... so, I haven't been stuck completely in-town since '07, but, I haven't left the West Coast at all, and haven't left the Southwestern region since I moved back in '09.

I need to get my feet down on the other side of the ocean soon

[cb at sea]

When we were young and poor, we NEVER took a vacation....couldn't afford to go anywhere. Now, if we don't go somewhere every couple of months, we feel deprived! And yeah...we're older now...much older!

[MsAnnThrope]

47 years.