6 Steps to a Stress-Free Weekend Trip

“I just want to drop everything right now and drive far, far away.”

Sound familiar?  The good old 9-5 (or 8-5…7-5…) is the backbone of this country and the source of financial stability for most families.  America revolves around the 9-5.  For better or for worse, the 9-5 has been here for years and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

But if you’re anything like me, eventually you feel a small whisper that grows larger with each passing work day.  This whisper isn’t satisfied living the same day over and over again.  This whisper connects with your soul and craves adventure.  This whisper wants you to experience the world and discover new feelings.  It wants you to get out there, to break routine, and to find greater purpose and fulfillment.

The thing about this whisper is that it’s very stubborn.  No matter how many times you tell it to quiet down, it gets louder every day.  You can’t shake it, and you shouldn’t.  This whisper tells us we were meant for more than sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day.  Does this mean everyone working a 9-5 should wake up tomorrow morning and quit?  Well, that’s a topic for another post, but you’re probably not in a situation where you can quit on a whim to do something more untraditional.

When that whisper won’t shut up, it’s a sign you need to take action and feed your soul some adventure.  This is where traveling comes in.  Before you dismiss travel as not possible, let’s talk a little bit more about what travel can look like.

Plan a Dream Trip That’s Actually Possible!

Maybe you’re dying to take a week-long, exotic Caribbean vacation. You want to find a beach, soak up some sun, and forget the rest of the world. The problem with grand, vacation-style travel is that it’s not easy to fit into life. You’d have to take time off, plan it, spend a bunch of money, and make tons of arrangements. This is when the wish to travel can lead to discouragement.

What if I told you travel can be much more simple and achievable than that?  Sure, you can spend days, weeks, or months planning a dream vacation, or you can take a weekend to spend at a bed and breakfast an hour away from home.  You find something that you’re both actually able to do and that excites you.

So how can you make that happen?  Travel can feel complicated…where to stay, purchasing flights, budgeting for the trip, making sure it’s kid-friendly…and this is where people tend to give up.  

Personally, I have found that the key is not to overcomplicate it.  And the key to not overcomplicating travel is not expecting perfection.  

Maybe that gorgeous Caribbean beach is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the next trip you want to take.  Sure, put some money and PTO away to make this trip a reality someday, but how do you quiet that whisper that’s dying to experience the world right now?

There are ways to experience the same feelings as you would on that gorgeous Caribbean vacation. There are options that will still leave your soul refreshed.  You can achieve this by not expecting perfection. Weekend trips are an overlooked, underrated way to add more adventure into your life if the work-week cycle has become just a little too mundane.

Almost all of my favorite travel memories are from trips that had a couple weeks or less of planning.  One Friday morning while we were living in California, I told my husband that I wanted to go somewhere that weekend.  I spent a couple hours during the day figuring out a general idea of where I wanted to go. Within 30 minutes, I settled on Zion National Park in Utah (read my blog post about that trip here).  Then, I nailed down the details of where we would stay and packed my things.  

And that’s it.  We hit the road right after he finished work for the day.  It was freeing. Not planning out every detail meant there was a wonderful sense of mystery and adventure to the weekend.  We ended up hiking Zion’s famous Angels Landing trail and ventured over to Bryce Canyon National Park, too.  We didn’t plan out every hike, every meal, or even make sure our hotel was in the perfect spot.  We just went for it. That trip made me want to create more and more memories just like it.

Let’s run with the beach trip idea.  What are some different ways you could travel THIS upcoming weekend to that beach your soul is longing for if you can’t fly to the Caribbean at the drop of a hat?  

First, ask yourself what makes that trip (or whatever your ideal vacation would be) so appealing.  Is it being far away from your job, your house, and your responsibilities?  Is it the idea of laying out in the sun with a good book, listening to the waves?  Is there a margarita, mojito, or some other tropical beverage involved?  

Here’s the freeing, exciting thing. You can do all of this on a trip to a beach within driving distance of your home.  It is completely within your ability to take a weekend trip somewhere you can get to Friday night and spend Sunday evening traveling home.

Want to be unplugged?  Leave your phone in your hotel room, or just powered down in your bag.  There, no one can reach you.  Don’t check your email, and don’t use your phone for anything that’s not relaxing.  Want to spend all day laying out on the beach as you picture yourself doing in the Caribbean?  Pack your favorite towel and your favorite beach chair, grab a book and some sunscreen, and commit to it.  Want to sip on a tropical drink?  Make a cocktail and bring it with you (if it’s allowed)! Or find a local restaurant that makes a mean margarita.

Budgeting for Your Weekend

Maybe now this is looking more realistic to you, and you’re seeing how you actually do have the ability on your weekend.  Maybe the obstacle entering your mind now is money.  After all, is it worth it to drop money on travel expenses for only 2 days of vacation?

I’ll go back to my point before to keep it simple by not expecting perfection.  There is travel that fits within just about every budget.  What else would you be spending money on this weekend if you weren’t on your trip?  Would you go out to eat or would you sit on the couch and make a few Amazon orders? Would you go see a movie or would you spend money on home improvement projects?

If the money exists for these weekend activities, it exists for a weekend spent focusing on what your mind, body, and soul needs by experiencing more of the world.  It’s all about what you prioritize.  I’ve had some weekend trips where I’ve probably spent less than $100 because we camped, packed all our food, and spent our time doing free activities outdoors like hiking and swimming.  My husband and I once took a 7-day camping trip to the Black Hills region of South Dakota where we packed all our food and didn’t spend a dime at a restaurant (I was SUPER proud of that!).  We’ve also had some weekends where we were okay with spending more on activities we knew would create special, lasting memories. 

6 Steps to Planning Your Perfect Trip

By this point, you’re probably feeling motivated to make a weekend trip happen for yourself! Here’s a step-by-step guide for planning the perfect, low-stress weekend getaway:

1. Decide how far you’re willing to drive.  You want somewhere you get to on Friday night after work.  Having an entire Saturday to relax without traveling really helps make the trip feel longer.  You also want the option to spend most of Sunday at your destination before heading back.  Anywhere between 1-5 hours is pretty manageable for a weekend getaway.  
2. Decide about how much money you’re willing to spend.  Can you spend $50 or $3000 on your weekend?  Come up with a loose budget so you’re not stressing about money while you’re supposed to be relaxing.  If you’ve committed $500 in your mind to this weekend trip ahead of time, you’ll lessen the guilt when you buy that must-have tropical cocktail for $15.  
3. Choose a location.  Once you’ve figured out how far you’re willing to drive, it’s time to figure out where you’ll be headed.  My favorite way to do this for weekend trips is to use the map app on my phone to scroll around where I live.  You can look for nearby cities, parks, beaches, whatever catches your eye.  Doing this in the maps app helps you to know exactly how far it’ll take to get there.  Then, research things to do in that location.  If it’s within driving distance, has a good amount of things to do, and makes you excited to go, you’ve found a winner!
4. Choose a place to stay.  I don’t like planning out every detail of my trips, but I think it’s super important to figure out where you’ll be staying ahead of time.  On the rare occasion I haven’t planned this out in advance, trying to find a place to stay created unwanted stress and took up time during my trip.  Decide ahead of time if you’ll be staying in a hotel, Airbnb, campground, or somewhere else, and get that booked! 
5. Find a couple activities you’d like to do at some point over the weekend.  Like I said before, I don’t like planning out every detail. But in my experience, something else that can add stress to your trip is getting there and not having any idea what there is to do. This usually results in spending tons of time on your short trip trying to figure it out.  Research the area a little and find a few things to do that look fun.  It isn’t something you absolutely need to stick to. It’s bank of ideas to make sure you get the most out of your weekend.  For example, whenever we visit National Parks on a weekend, I like to find 1 hike I really want to do and a couple attractions I can’t miss.  I leave the rest of the trip up in the air, but having a little bit of a framework make for a low-stress, enjoyable trip.
6. Stop overthinking and go!  Trust the planning you did and accept the adventure of a few unknowns.  Be present, be thankful, and feel every bit of the weekend as you can. Be proud of yourself for getting out there!

Where are you going the next weekend you get the chance?  Drop it in the comments below!