45 Signs You Need a Vacation

There comes a time in life when you just need to get out of town. You’ve been there, right? Now this is not one of those articles that tells you that a certain percentage of Americans don’t go on vacation, and that taking time off is good for your health. We all know that, right? Instead this is simply a list of signs that you need a vacation.

Whether you’re tired of the same old routine every day, or want something big on your calendar to look forward to, a vacation can pull you out of a funk. Vacations are the perfect time to refresh and reflect on your life. You can come back from a vacation with a renewed sense of energy, and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way!

45 Signs You Need a Vacation

1. You never took that honeymoon, 5-year or 10-year year anniversary trip.
2. The “Leaving on a jet plane” song is stuck in your head. Like every. single. day.
3. You get hangry at the silliest of situations, even when you’ve just eaten.
4. Going through TSA at the airport actually excites you.
5. Your luggage has been sitting so long that it has dust on it.
6. You can spend hours dreaming of exotic destinations as you scroll Pinterest.
7. Your spouse gets a bonus from work, and for once in your adult life you don’t have to use it to replace something that just broke.
8. You are tired of life passing you by without actually living it.
9. It’s winter and you live someplace where your face hurts when you walk outside.
10. It’s freaking hot where you are and the crisp, cool air of the mountains is calling you.
11. Your recent trip to the zoo has reminded you of that dream African safari vacation you’ve never taken.
12. You play Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney and Bob Marley songs on Pandora way more often than you care to admit.
13. The local ice cream shop has lost its appeal. You want authentic gelato at a shop in Italy!
14. The wallpaper on your phone isn’t your favorite family pic, it’s a destination where you’ve always wanted to go.
15. You dream of a place with no WiFi.
16. Your passport expires next year and you’ve only used it once since you got it.
17. You weren’t able to go on the big destination wedding to the Dominican Republic last year with your best friend because you had an infant at home. Now every time you see her you think about the vacation you missed.
18. The fruity drink you ordered at happy hour comes and your excitement turns to disappointment when your drink isn’t delivered with a mini umbrella and pineapple on the rim.
19. Your bucket list that you created years ago is still sitting there, collecting dust, without a single destination crossed off.

Create Your Ultimate Travel Bucket List

Always wanted to see the Grand Canyon? Ready to marvel at the Taj Mahal? Wanting to hit the cobblestone streets of Italy? Whether they’re trips with your significant other, family vacations, girls weekends away, trips with friends, or anything in between, those places that come to mind right away go on your travel bucket list first.

Signs you’re losing your mind and a beach vacation will help from going insane

20. Every time you set your car to cruise down the road, you can almost smell the salty ocean air.
21. As you sit in your car, stuck in traffic, you close your eyes for two seconds and actually hear the waves crashing on the beach.
22. When you work out you turn the fan up high and pretend that it’s ocean breeze in your hair.
23. You find yourself watching Moana, dreaming of the beach life, without your kids anywhere nearby.
24. At the vitamin isle at the store, you’re frustrated that you can’t find vitamin ‘sea’ when you’re really trying to find vitamin ‘C’.
25. You’re at a backyard BBQ and suddenly realize you’ve been staring at the sandbox, wishing you could plop your toes in the sand (um, at the beach though).
26. Every time you hear the word coconut, you think of the kind that is cut off a nearby tree and you’re sipping from it with a straw.

Photo credit: Nikki’s travels

Signs you need a vacation for your health

27. Your therapist recommends taking time off.
28. Your heart is calling you to explore somewhere new.
29. You’ve gained a little weight and want a reason to fit into a bikini again.
30. You are falling asleep standing up in your kitchen, while dreaming about a massage on the beach.
31. People are consistently asking you if you’re feeling okay, when really you’re just tired and in need of a break.

Related reads:
Why Taking Vacations Makes You Happier
10 Tips for Your Best Vacation Ever

Work-related signs you need a vacation

32. You can’t remember the last time you had a week off without going to work, doing dishes or laundry.
33. You’re researching something for work and your subconscious types ‘dream vacations’ in the Google search bar instead of what you’re actually looking for.
34. You are making a lot of mistakes at work and, uncharacteristically, you don’t even feel bad about it.
35. It’s Monday.
36. Every time you boot up your computer at work you are secretly tempted to turn on your out of office reply.
37. All of your computer passwords are of destinations you haven’t been to.
38. You used to approach problem-solving with creativity. Now you use Google for everything.
39. Your stress levels from work and just life in general are through the roof.
40. Hiking the Himalayas with a broken foot sounds better than attending another boring meeting at the office.

Family-related signs you need a vacation

41. You need to re-connect with your spouse.
42. Spring break is coming up and you don’t have child care lined up.
43. Your kids’ obsession with Disney has taken on a whole new level. Plus they’re at the age where they will actually remember a Disney vacation.
44. Your kids have never left the state you live in.
45. The family vacation photos on your walls are with people you barely even recognize. How did they grow up so fast??

Well, what are you waiting for?

If you can relate to a single reason above, it’s time to start planning! Because here’s the thing – life isn’t slowing down. It’s not really getting any less busy, either. Take the vacation! Go on that family road trip. Book the anniversary trip that you never took.

Because when you look back at life decades from now, you won’t remember all the stuff you bought, all the ‘busy’ times you had. You’ll remember the vacations and the experiences with your loved ones during those trips.

So start today! Pick a date. Make a plan. Save the money. Then have the time of your life!

Alright friend, what’s your next destination?