Vacation anticipation

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Among my many sayings our boys have begun to catalog is this simple proverb: “The anticipation of a thing is often better than the thing itself.”

I know, deep, right?

I did not originate this proverb nor was I the first to discover the psychological condition from whence it emerges. But for many years, I have observed its truth. Its applications are nearly universal: date night, Christmas, birthdays, trips, the birth of a child, or anything that brings you joy. That includes the specific form of anticipation I’m experiencing now: vacation anticipation.

We have enjoyed our family vacation to Santa Rosa Beach 19 times since 2004 (we went to Cocoa Beach with our friends the Bennetts one year.) With no. 20 on the horizon, I have been thinking a lot about the trip and how to wring maximum fun from the investment.

A young boy at the beach
Barron’s first time walking on the white sands of Santa Rosa Beach in 2004.
A young boy runs out of the water onto the beach
Barron escapes the water.
A young boy buries his mom in the sand at the beach
Barron burying Carla.
A young boy jumps into his dad's arms in the swimming pool
We spent hours doing this at the pool at Gulf Place Cabanas.
A dad and his son outside of a condo at the beach
We stayed at Gulf Place Cabanas the first few years.

Research at the University of Alabama revealed that planning a vacation can bring the same levels of joy as actually taking the vacation. I’m sure the methodology here was just surveys, but wouldn’t it be fun to be a subject in that study?

We have our annual family vacation to Santa Rosa Beach on 30A coming up, and I’ve found my anticipation this year to be as high as in any year previous. To keep from going completely bonkers with excitement, I’ve channeled my joyful expectation into a helpful guide to maximize the anticipation experience and help others who may need a dopamine hit to jolt them out of their doldrums.

black and white of a young boy at the beach with the dunes in the background
Barron in black and white at SRB in 2004.
black and white photo of a young boy at the beach
We were real artsy with a photos that first year.
A young boy at the beach among the dunes
I don’t think you’re supposed to walk on the dunes at the beach anymore.
A young boy sitting on the boardwalk at the beach
Those long shorts are classified as “clam diggers,” though we were not digging for clams.

Here are New South Essays’ top five ways to enhance your vacation anticipation:

Make a list. We’re habitual list makers in our family, so packing lists are only one of the many lists we have surrounding our vacation. In fact, I should make a list of our lists. There’s the obvious packing list, which inevitably we recreate every year rather than just keep the same one. Then there’s the activities list. Now that our children are nearly all grown, this list must be negotiated among the group. And don’t forget the list of meals, both the ones that will be prepared and the ones consumed while dining out. The simple act of listing gives your mind an anticipatory place to go allowing you to visualize all the fun you will have.

A toddler on the beach
Harris’s first trip to Santa Rosa Beach in 2006.
A toddler fills a bucket with sand at the beach surrounded by seaweed
Seaweed was no deterrent to Harris who still enjoys filling a bucket with sand.

Discuss your plans ad nauseum. A great complement to the list making is all the discussing of the list making. Seriously, I don’t know what else my Darling Beloved and I would talk about from Memorial Day until we leave for the beach if it weren’t for vacation plans. No more deadly recitations about your day at the office or all the places you had to take somebody. Going in depth on the details about who will sleep where and when you’ll leave for the trip are sure to enliven every conversation. I have found that teenagers particularly love the repetitive nature of asking them over and over again what they’re looking forward to during vacation.

An infant at the water's edge at the beach
Carlton does not appear to be enjoying the water on his first trip to Santa Rosa Beach in 2009.
A man in sunglasses with a toddler on his shoulders at the beach
I would not attempt this maneuver with Carlton now.
A baby on a beach towel at the beach
Carlton patty cakes the sand off his hands.

Conduct a survey. With all of the lists and discussions that can take place, technology now has advanced to the point that you can go full marketing researcher on your family to make all of the decisions. Rather than wait until we get to the beach to fight about where everybody wants to eat, we got a jumpstart by debating it this spring. Carlton came up with the solution of a Google survey in which all of our vacation participants ranked their restaurant choices. It may not dictate all of our meals, but it sure was fun to think about while we solicited support for our favorites. No sense in waiting until the last minute to argue.

Two young boys at the beach at sunset
Barron and Harris looking for crabs at sunset.
Two boys burying each other in sand at the beach
Our beach accoutrement used to include a giant bucket of sand toys. Here, Barron is the burying victim.
A young boy and his dad run on the beach
Barron and Lance getting in their steps.
Two boys bury their brother in sand at the beach
Barron and Carlton bury Harris this time.

“Favorite” the destination website. For some reason, this year Carla texted everyone the link to the website of the condo where we’ll be staying. I clicked the link on my phone, swiped through the photos and congratulated her on an outstanding choice. But rather than close out of the website, I kept the browser window open on my phone’s Safari app. I have looked at those photos every day for the biblical period of 40 days and 40 nights. I find I get a similar boost by visiting 30A and the Beaches of South Walton social media accounts. The images help extend the joy of vacation by about two months.

Three boys and their dog at the beach
We even got to bring ol’ Tobey with us a time or two, but he sure needed a hair cut.
A mom and her teen-aged son at the beach
Carla and a teen-aged Barron at sundown.
Two boys and their dad in a yellow kayak at the beach
One year we sprang for the kayak rental.
Two boys and their dad topple over in a yellow kayak with their older brother looking on.
We didn’t stay upright long.

Revisit the past. While we’re on the subject of photos, be sure to take advantage of all the forced picture taking of vacations past. It will fill you with nostalgia and bring your anticipation to a fever pitch. Whether it’s the annual photo of you and your loved ones all dressed in white and khaki or those wacky photos we used to post to Facebook back in the early days of that platform, looking at old photos not only builds anticipation but helps you remember the way it used to be when your children were small, you were broke, and traditions were just being created. I particularly like the ones in which my hair had not yet turned “blond” at the temples.

I’m sure there are other ways to build anticipation for your vacation. Do us all a favor and share your ideas by leaving a comment below. I sincerely hope you all have a chance to get away this summer and have the experiences you want and need.

A woman at the beach in a turquoise shirt
Carla’s beach tan shows up best at sunset on Santa Rosa Beach.

I look forward to seeing your photos!

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Published by lanceelliottwallace

Lance Elliott Wallace lives and writes in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. A native of Texas and a former resident of Florida and Alabama, Lance married a Georgia girl and together they are rearing three Georgia boys. By day he communicates for the higher education institutions of Georgia. He spends his early morning hours praying, writing and walking.

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