Wouldn't it be great if as an adult starting your vacation, you could get the same exact feeling you did when you started vacation at say, age ten? Remember the feelings of freedom, bubbling joy and such excitement that you literally had to run around the backyard at full speed with your legs and arms flailing, pretending you were about to take off in the air? Oh, wait; was that just me on that running thing? Even if you didn't do the running, we all remember that feeling, but it's hard to get back there as an adult. Stress from your real life can start to seep into your vacation time or even worse, cause you to not take one at all. Having a stress free vacation (assuming you don't bring your mother-in-law) is within your reach and it starts with a massive overhaul of how you plan for your vacation.

Plan at Work
One of the hardest things for people to do is to unplug from work, but it can be done. First of all, alert people such as co-workers and clients when you will be gone. Be crystal clear about how reachable you will be. While you are gone, be sure to use key staff to fill in the gaps and delegate, delegate, delegate. If it still really bothers you to be on vacation when others are working, try to vacation during major holidays such as the 4th of July or Christmas, when there are many people that will be away and the work load will be smaller. If it makes you a happier person and allows you to enjoy the rest of your vacation, schedule a time period to check in with the
office via email or telephone, but when that block of time is over, return to your Margaritaville attitude and call for another round.

Plan at Home
In order to keep it safe at home while you are gone, alert your neighbors that you will be gone and ask them to bring in the trash as well as remove papers and advertisements from your doorstep. Make sure that someone at home has emergency numbers where you can be reached. It's nice to be "off the grid", but if something drastic happens, you will want to know about it. Finally, as much as I hate to say it, returning to a clean, put together house eases the pain of re-entry a little bit, so tidy up before you leave.

Plan for Yourself
Just as you prepared your work and home, you also have to prepare yourself for vacation happiness. This is hard for all you "Type A" vacationers out there but, as you scourer the Internet for ideas of what to do on your vacation, go ahead and plan. But if things fail to come together as perfectly as planned, don't let it be a deal breaker. Try not to feel guilty about not spending every waking moment together as a family. A little individual time is good for everyone. Finally, take time to genuinely appreciate where you are and what you are doing on your vacation. Doing so might be just the thing to make you break out into that childlike "airplane" run again.

About the author: Freedom Travel is specializing in military vacations and quick trips for members of the military and government personnel. Freedom Travel offers military cruises and military trips.