Millennials and the Micro-Vacation
I’ve never been a stranger to traveling. My family was really big on road trips when I was growing up, and the journey was oftentimes just as important as the destination—which somehow explains my first visit the Corn Palace in South Dakota on the return trip to Ohio from the Grand Canyon. Now ignoring the great detour across the country and the fact that, yes, first visit implies that I have been to the Corn Palace multiple times, my point is that I was raised on lengthy vacations; yet, in the last few years I haven’t taken a vacation that lasted more than a few days, and it’s been completely by choice.
The Trend
You may or may not have heard the term micro-vacation or micro-cation, which—while it doesn’t have an exact definition—is most widely recognized as a trip that lasts no more than four nights. Compared to the traditional vacation, micro-vacations have the benefit of being less stressful, less expensive, and less disruptive to work. While some use micro-vacations to jet-set across the world, in general this method of vacationing lends itself to domestic exploration. I looked at a few different studies with widely conflicting numbers, but the consensus is clear: Millennials are taking to the new vacation trend like a slice of avocado toast.
I mentioned my own use of the micro-vacation, though I didn’t know there was an actual term for it at the time. I’m lucky enough to have a very flexible work schedule, so my motivation for shorter trips tends to be to keep the room and board costs down as well as making it easier to coordinate a vacation schedule with a friend or two. Instead of adopting the micro-vacation on principle, the trend just seemed a practical answer to the need to travel without the hardship of planning an extended stay away from home.
The Tips
So, have you micro-vacationed? I’ve gotten a few under my belt, both in other countries and just a couple hours from home, and there are some rules I’ve come to vacation by:
1. Establish what it is you want to accomplish at your destination.
When you’re only spending a couple days somewhere, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with options. Know what you want to do or see beforehand—regardless of how seemingly insignificant (one of our goals in NYC was to eat a bagel)—and make it a priority. You don’t want to be going home regretting not having visited Neuschwanstein. Trust me.
2. Don’t overexert.
So, those goals you want to accomplish? Make them realistic. In only a couple of days, you’re getting a slice of your destination, not the full pie. Sightseeing yourself to exhaustion isn’t going to make for a very pleasant experience, so pace yourself.
3. Pack light.
Packing for trips is fun. I make packing lists months in advance of a trip with every single item I could possibly need, balancing necessity, comfort, and cuteness. But realistically you’re gone only a few days. Clean underwear, toothbrush, and charger. You could forget everything else and be fine. I mean, don’t forget everything else, but if you do, it’s not the end of the world.
4. Look up local events.
If you’re traveling to a city, looking up local events can be a great idea. A lot of times it can offer up some free entertainment or just something you don’t get to experience at your own home. I neglected to look up Toronto’s city calendar and ended up missing their Pride Festival by a week, which was a bummer. So, even if you don’t end up going to any of the local events, it doesn’t hurt to see what’s going on.
5. Unplug and connect.
By all means, take the selfies and make some food porn, but in as brief as the micro-vacation is it’s important to be present in the moment. Making connections with locals is an amazing part of seeing new places. Learning about their lives and what they love about their home can give a depth of appreciation that is easy to miss on a quick jaunt somewhere. Also, pro tip: ask the locals where they like to eat.
Neuschwanstein: My biggest regret in Germany was not going to see this castle.
The Trouble
So, I’m a fan of the micro-vacation, but let’s talk about what lead to the rise of this phenomenon. It’s no secret that Americans and Millennials especially among them are tied to their work. So much so that more than half of American professionals didn’t even use their vacation days last year. Not only is there an obligation to jobs, but there’s a fear that taking a week off will leave someone so far behind that they’ll be in a constant state of catch-up. Also, Millennials have less money readily available to put toward a vacation, and a week or more away from home is a pretty significant drain on the bank account. However, we’re also in touch with ourselves in a way previous generations haven’t been. We understand the need of a mental health day to prevent burnout; we value experiences more than material items; we have connections across the globe, whether or not we’ve been able to visit. Micro-vacations are a practical solution to this dichotomy.
Now, there are systemic problems here too deep to delve into in this post, so let’s just scratch the surface. Millennials aren’t just taking these micro-vacations because it’s practical, we’re taking them because we view it as the only feasible option of a vacation, conscious decision or not. Whether because of money, work stress, or planning stress; we’ve boxed ourselves in to this one type of trip that while convenient and a fun way to explore the world is also flawed.
It’s like we’ve taken the multicultural days in elementary school where we’d eat food and see dances and read stories about some girl’s relationship with her nonna, and turned it into our version of a vacation. It’s like having the SparkNotes edition of a trip—helps you pass the class, but you’re missing some great nuances.
The Takeaway
Take all the vacations. Take the micro-trips, but don’t forget the long, drawn out ones too. Whatever is holding you back, there is a solution for it.
People who vacation more are more productive at work, have a more comprehensive world view, and live longer. Don’t get stuck in a vacation box, take the meandering route and see the Corn Palaces of the world.
Kasey Klein is a independent, contributing Blogger and Writer for Wanderlust Journeys LLC. All information, views and opinions are not affiliated or shared by Wanderlust Journeys, it’s employees, contractors or suppliers..