Traveling (and planning travel) with other people is always about compromise (unless you are zombie clones, in which case…awesome…?).
A moment of real honesty here: I’m not very good at compromise, at all. Blame it on being an only child, or whatever, I like “my way”, and I almost always have clear, articulated reasons for “my way”. This isn’t to say my reasons are better than someone else’s reasons (though they might be..cough), I’m just saying I can present a convincing argument.
It’s a bit of an uphill battle to convince me to do something I really don’t want to do, especially when it comes to travel. I’m sure Dear Husband (DH) is reading this thinking…that’s BS…uphill battle? It’s like climbing Everest in swim trunks.
Anyway, I highly value my time off, food, and nice hotels. I carefully assess the opportunity cost/tradeoffs of taking each and every trip (if I go here…I can’t go there). When I go on vacation (not to a city, mind you…different rules apply there) to somewhere on the beach, in the jungle, or in the bush, I want tranquility, relaxation, and probably more animals than people. So you can imagine my (thinly veiled) discomfort when we started talking about going to Mexico–in particular, Cancun. DH wants to meet family in Cancun next year. They are from Mexico, so it’s really not THAT strange of a choice. It is our turn to visit Mexico; others also have tighter travel budgets, making Cancun a favored option for most. Me? Eh, let’s just say not so much.
I’m sure you’re wondering–you must have been there and hated it. Nope, I’ve never been. But seriously, that’s because I never had any inkling of interest in going. We are talking Cancun proper here, the infamous Zona Hotelera. Crowded beaches, tons of people, loud nightclubs (I’m in bed by 11pm every night), and all-inclusive resorts? Count me out. But I’m trying to compromise, and I’m trying to keep an open mind (shouldn’t judge somewhere before I go, right?). Why? Because DH graciously jumped on the Bhutan boat with me, without knowing anything about the country and doing it because he knew it would make me happy. Because he’s always game for new adventures/vacations, as long as they don’t break the bank. Because it’s my turn to compromise.
Last night, DH politely said I was acting like an entitled millenial (which may have been entangled with the words travel snob) and while I resent the label, I’ll admit there may be a grain of truth in there somewhere. So I’m trying…not fully succeeding, but I’m trying. Trying to compromise and trying to look forward to the positives (a day in Tulum?!).
PS: Thanks to A Cruising Couple for a well-timed post about an all-inclusive in Cancun…it was a great perspective from travelers…I really needed that. How have you had to compromise your travel style for family or friends? Want to tell me I’m very wrong about Cancun? I want to hear it!
