The old cliché, “You are what you eat,” is true of course, but even more so rings the phrase, “You are where you travel.” Vacations are the one time in your life where you truly get to indulge all your interests and passions. There shall be no sacrifices made when you are on your vacation time. No bosses telling you to be on time, none of your pals compromising with you about where to go out that night. Just do you.
So what do your luxury summer vacations say about you?
1. Cape Cod Summer House
You are a classic, old timey American. On vacation, you escape the stresses of the 9 to 5 world in favor of barebecuing burgers and dogs on the porch, soaking up some rays on the beach, tossing the ball around with your ever-adorable children, and lighting off fireworks illegally purchased on 495 driving towards the Bourne Bridge. You don’t need too much adventure, the American dream is exactly as advertised and as evidenced by your beautiful summer house on the Cape, you have achieved it.
2. Berlin
You are a millennial. You were born to wealthy parents in the Upper East Side but you quickly grew weary of your own wealth in search of something more “artistic.” After school you’d rip off your uniform and throw on some torn jeans and moto boots, moving to the Lower East Side or even better, Bed-Stuy, to be around other creative professionals. Aided by your trust fund, you were able to start looking for work in a creative field, like photography or design. When you go on vacation, you want to experience art, music, and culture. You call your dad to throw some money in your account, the first call you’ve made to him since the last time you needed money. You tell him Berlin’s excellent street art and underground techno clubs will be a transcendent experience that will aid you in your “career.” Your dad, not wanting to be a total dork, complies.
3. Colorado
You used to go to Amsterdam, but Colorado is a much cheaper flight. Not to mention, it now serves your primary interest in travel just as well. When traveling, you look to search inward. You want to take in the breathtaking views of the Colorado Rockies, or so you keep telling yourself, but you have trouble finding the energy to leave your hotel room. The hotel has excellent room service. So good that you feel you don’t really need to see anything other than the hotel room. You want to, wait, what are you thinking again? Man this ice cream sundae is delicious. I wonder if Lord of the Rings is on Netflix?
4. Caribbean Cruise
You are feeling adventurous, if not exactly an adventurous person. You long to see some things, find beauty on this Earth, but you need a schedule, a routine, so things don’t get too anxious for you. While walking around Kingstown Jamaica, you tell yourself you are loving the authenticity of this unique culture and admiring the vibrant people. You tell yourself this, but in reality you are terrified, holding on to your purse and your wallet at all costs, fearing for your own well-being. You keep looking at the clock, not wanting to miss the last raft back to the boat, and if they are serving pizza tonight on the ship? Now that’s something to look forward to. You are comforted by the restrictions placed on you, and a little embarrassingly, you miss work, the one place that you know who you are and what you are to do. Yes, you’re a little Type-A, you know this and that’s ok with you.
5. New York City
Perhaps you live here already, but that doesn’t matter. You know in your heart this is the best place on Earth and you won’t let anyone tell you different. You constantly condescend to friends who moved to the city that was closest to home, maybe Boston or Madison, Wisconsin, saying things like, “You can’t really know what it’s like to live here unless you live here.” You go on and on about the positives of the New York. There’s literature, art, business, music, food, shopping. Just to prove your point you literally confine yourself to the two boroughs (Brooklyn just recently became acceptable to you after its massive gentrification, but you will not set foot in Queens, the Bronx, and don’t even get yourself started on Staten Island). When you go back to work you will tell stories that sound the same as any other weekend story you’ve had, “So I had tea at the Russian Tea Room and then I was feeling exotic and went to the Carbonne’s in Greenwich Village for dinner”).
6. Paris
Vacation is shopping as far as you are concerned. Not to downgrade Paris, it is indeed a beautiful city with a storied history of culture and creativity, but come on, have you been to these shops? Everyday of your trip by 4 p.m. your arms are sore from the heaving shopping bags that you’ve been carrying around the shopping districts, decadent outfits from Saint Laurent Paris and Dior. You literally get a high from the transaction between money for attire. The high is long-lasting and powerful. The comedown always comes though, doesn’t it. And you are left facing reality while finally checking your savings account on your Mobile banking app.
7. Tangier
You are a writer, either successful or aspiring. A real writer, you think to yourself. You are disdainful of modern publishing, and would never be caught dead writing something such as, “What your luxury vacations says about you.” You are in search of something real. You grew up reading the journals of William S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles and their experiences in Tangier and you believe you will never be a true writer until you have walked the streets they have walked, hung out at the hash bars they hung out at, and ate the local cuisine they ate. All your travels bring you closer to writing that great novel you will one day write, you promise to yourself.
8. Tibet
Vacation is transcendence, you believe. The stresses of the modern work day are a hindrance to your own spiritual enlightenment, so you travel to Tibet to achieve said enlightenment. While there, you start getting a little bored, but you slap yourself, only the weak need luxuries such as decadent food and booze. Those things are not real, the journey to inner peace, that’s real. When you get home, you feel more or less the same, except your knees and lower back are absolutely killing you. You won’t tell anyone that though, you will tell them about your spiritual travails, whether or not you truly believe that they took place.
9. El Salvador
Growing up in southern California, you were a pretty rad dude/gal back in the day. Every day before and after school, you’d wake up, don your wet suit, and shred waves like there wasn’t a care in the world. Unfortunately, as a professional adult, you do have cares now. You miss the old you, the long-haired, sun-bleached, and ultra-tan you. When on vacation, you look to re-discover that person, venturing to the latest surfing hot spots. Hawaii, been there done that. Costa Rica, like you need to go there again. Nope, now you are headed to El Salvador to shred some serious waves while taking in some serious Latin American culture. For a little while, you get to pretend you were the fun and carefree person you once were. When back at the office, the sun burn may sting, but the freedom you just felt also glows.
