Not what you think you should do.
Not what social media says you should do.
Not what sounds impressive when you tell other people about it.
What would you actually do?
I'm asking because, by the time you're reading this, I'll officially be on vacation.
For the next ten days, there are no work schedules to check, no alarms to set for the next shift, and no airport waiting for me in the morning.
And as I was thinking about how I wanted to spend that time, it got me thinking about something I call the Vacation Test.
For some people, the answer is travel.
They'd immediately start looking at flights, hotels, and destinations.
For others, the answer is sleep. They'd spend the first few days catching up on rest that they've been putting off for months.
Some people would spend every moment with family.
Some would finally tackle projects around the house.
Some would dive into hobbies they've neglected.
Some would sit down, stare at the wall, and realize they have no idea what they actually enjoy doing when nobody is telling them what needs to be done.
That's what makes the Vacation Test interesting.
It isn't really about vacations.
It's about priorities.
The answer often reveals what we've been missing, what we've been craving, or what we value most in this particular season of life.
Of course, the answer is going to be different depending on who you are.
Someone with young children is taking a very different Vacation Test than someone who is retired.
A married couple will probably answer differently than someone who is single.
Someone caring for aging parents will have different priorities than someone fresh out of college.
There isn't a right answer.
That's the point.
The test isn't measuring whether your vacation is exciting enough.
It's simply revealing what matters most to you when you're finally given the freedom to choose.
For me, the answer is surprisingly simple.
I'm going bowling.
I'm writing this blog.
I'm recording a podcast.
I'll probably play some video games, get some extra walks in, catch up on a few things I've been meaning to do, and enjoy not having to look at a work schedule for a little while.
And the more I thought about that answer, the more I realized something.
My ideal vacation doesn't look all that different from my normal life.
The difference isn't what I'm doing.
The difference is that I'm doing it on my own schedule.
Now before anyone misunderstands me, I'm not saying that work and vacation are the same thing.
Trust me, if you offered me the choice between going to work tomorrow or continuing my vacation, I'd be extending the vacation every single time.
There's a reason people look forward to time off.
Work comes with responsibilities, schedules, deadlines, expectations, alarms, commutes, and all of the other things that demand our attention whether we feel like dealing with them or not.
Vacation gives us something that is becoming increasingly rare as adults:
Freedom.
Not freedom from responsibility forever, but freedom from responsibility for a little while.
Freedom to decide how we want to spend our own time.
And that's where the Vacation Test gets interesting.
Because once the obligations are removed, what remains?
What are the things you naturally gravitate toward when nobody is telling you what to do?
For some people, the answer reveals that they're exhausted.
Their entire vacation revolves around sleep, relaxation, and recovery because that's what their body and mind have been asking for.
For others, it reveals a desire for adventure.
They want new experiences, new places, and a break from routines that have started to feel repetitive.
For others, it reveals a need for connection.
They use every available moment to spend time with family and friends because those relationships have been pushed aside by the demands of everyday life.
None of those answers are wrong.
In fact, I would argue they're all valuable.
But every once in a while, someone takes the Vacation Test and discovers something unexpected.
They discover that when given complete freedom, they still choose many of the same things they normally do.
Not because they have to.
Because they want to.
That's a very different feeling.
When I thought about what I wanted to do during this vacation, my list wasn't filled with things I was desperate to escape to.
It was filled with things I already enjoy.
Bowling.
Writing.
Podcasting.
Walking.
Playing games.
Spending time with friends.
Taking photos.
Working on personal projects.
The only real difference is that I get to do those things without checking the clock to see when I have to be somewhere else.
And I think that's an important distinction.
A lot of people spend their lives chasing the idea of escaping.
Escaping their job.
Escaping their routine.
Escaping their circumstances.
Escaping the life they've built.
But maybe the better goal is to build a life that doesn't require constant escape in the first place.
That doesn't mean every day is exciting.
It doesn't mean every day is easy.
It doesn't mean you'll never need a vacation.
It simply means that when vacation finally arrives, you're not spending the entire time trying to become someone else.
You're simply getting more time to be yourself.
And maybe that's the real lesson hidden inside the Vacation Test.
The older I get, the less interested I am in building a life that looks impressive from the outside and the more interested I am in building one that feels fulfilling from the inside.
A life where I enjoy my hobbies.
A life where I enjoy my friendships.
A life where I have goals I'm working toward.
A life where I can find satisfaction in ordinary days, not just special occasions.
Because the truth is that vacations are temporary.
Eventually the trip ends.
Eventually the time off runs out.
Eventually the alarm clock comes back.
The real challenge is what happens in between those vacations.
What kind of life are you returning to?
If your answer is "one that I can't wait to escape from again," that might be worth examining.
If your answer is "one that I generally enjoy, even though it isn't perfect," that's a pretty good place to be.
Thirty years ago, if you had given me a week off, my answer would have been completely different.
Ten Year Old me with 10 days off?
I'm hopping on my bike, riding down the street to my best friend's house, playing video games, playing outdoor games, going swimming, renting a game from Blockbuster, and watching Surf Ninjas on repeat.
Twenty years ago, different again.
Twenty year old me with 10 days off?
Not having to go to work for 10 days in a row?!
Once you hit the workforce, vacation takes on a whole new meaning.
I'm still hanging out with friends, I have a car at this point, so my options of "where to go" have now expanded.
But I also have bills now.
And bills don't take vacations.
Trust me, I checked.
Even still, I'm playing wiffle ball with my friends until the early morning hours at the basketball court behind my local town hall that has lights that stay on all night.
Then going to Taco Bell at 2 AM, just having casual conversations in the car while eating a Beef & Potato Burrito.
Ten years ago, different again.
Now I have my own place.
Now I have even more bills.
Like rent.
But I also have a job that affords me to be able to pay said bills, and enjoy said vacations.
So I still hang out with friends, maybe catch up with friends I don't get to see very often.
But I'm also more than content just staying in, maybe catching up on some shows.
I'm also going to any and all professional wrestling shows that are in the area.
And by "In the area", I'm talking anywhere in Massachusetts, Connecticut, parts of Rhode Island, parts of New York, and maybe even parts of New Hampshire if I'm feeling spry.
So yeah, that's a pretty decent area.
Five years ago, different again.
At this point I'm going on food adventures, checking out restaurants that have been recommended by people.
I'm well settled into my job, I have good seniority, and now I'm at the point where my vacations are happening on or around the same time every year, and I can now plan for that.
I'm able to take a vacation every 3 months, and it's a nice way to reset and refresh.
The things we choose when we're given freedom evolve as our lives evolve.
The Vacation Test isn't something you pass once.
It's a question that keeps getting asked throughout your life.
And if you're lucky, the answer changes right along with you.
And today?
Today my vacation started with bowling.
Then writing this blog.
Then recording a podcast.
Tomorrow I'll probably take a walk.
Maybe play some video games.
Maybe work on a few personal projects.
Maybe do absolutely nothing for a little while.
And honestly, I'm perfectly happy with that.
Twenty years ago that probably would have sounded boring.
Today it sounds peaceful.
Now I have a healthy balance of it all.
Time at home.
Time with friends.
Side projects.
Recreation.
They all have a place, and I make time for all of them.
Maybe that's why my answer looks the way it does today.
Over the years I've slowly built routines, hobbies, friendships, and goals that I genuinely enjoy.
So when I'm finally given complete freedom, I naturally gravitate back toward them.
So here's my challenge for you.
Imagine someone handed you a week off starting tomorrow.
No obligations.
No work.
No appointments.
No responsibilities.
What would you do?
Your answer might tell you a lot about what you've been missing.
It might tell you what you've been neglecting.
It might tell you what matters most.
Or, if you're lucky, it might reveal something else entirely.
It might reveal that you've already built a life you enjoy living.
And if that's the case, then maybe you've already passed the Vacation Test.
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