Vacation or Travel?

Words can be so magically transformative, influencing our emotions and perspectives. It’s amazing how a single word can conjure up warm feelings and ignite excitement, while another, that is almost its synonym, can have the opposite effect.

For instance, when I’m craving a getaway, I can’t use the word “travel.” In moments like those, it’s vacation that I long for. If I think of travel at a time when I need to recharge, my mind gets filled with exhausting thoughts of long line-ups, connecting flights, delayed trains and chaotic crowds.

Vacation, on the other hand, feels restful and inspires scenes of gorgeous hotels with wonderful pools, quaint shops, local art or the gentle breeze of the ocean. By the same token, vacation also makes me think of ski slopes, cozy sweaters and light-hearted après-ski fun. And it can mean so many other things too, including cultural trips overseas and visiting family abroad.

Since travel is used both for work and pleasure, it makes it too general a term for our brains to automatically associate it with rest and relaxation, thereby missing the essence of taking time off to enjoy something fun.

While vacationing can still come with its share of airports and crowds, for some reason just having that word top of mind helps us get through those annoying parts with more ease. This is because travel was originally used to describe the journey, not so much a mindset.

Do you feel the same way? Does vacation bring you more calmness and joy?

TEXT BY FATIMA RIZZO