What’s YOUR Dream Vacation?

Adventure Vacations are IN

When I was a teenager, summers were usually spent hanging out at my parent’s house, working at the movie theatre at the mall, or volunteering at a camp in Maryland. Once a summer, my sister, parents and I usually loaded up the Plymouth Voyager (an ancient minivan) and headed down to Ocean City, NJ to hang out on the beach and cruise the boardwalk for a week. Occasionally we’d trek to some random Sheraton in a town like Syracuse or Gettysburg so my dad could attend a “Corvair convention” (Corvair’s are a type of car from the 60’s that my dad used to be obsessed with) while my mom, sis and I hung out by the pool.

Mello vacations like that wouldn’t pass muster today, according to a new report by Harris Interactive. According to the report:

• 78% of teens desire a unique, once-in-a-lifetime vacation event or activity that will provide them with bragging rights
• 84% of teens favor real-life action on vacation, such as participating in adventurous activities, to playing video games at their hotel
• 68% of teens want to explore a new place on vacation
• 49% want to see a celebrity while on vacation

The report also says that parents today are often letting their kids have a big say in where the family goes on vacation.

I think it’s great that teens are looking for more adventure on vacations, especially since taking safe risks and doing adventurous things like swimming with dolphins or rock climbing is proven to build up self-esteem.

Volunteer Vacations

If you’re up for an adventure and you want to do something outside the box, check out the book . This book lists vacation opportunities around the world where you can volunteer while vacationing. Want to visit the Caribbean? You can build housing there in exchange for free room and board and a cultural experience better than you’d get on any resort. Have you dreamed of visiting Nepal? Sign up with Volunteer Nepal Himalaya and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing Nepal from a local perspective while making a positive difference, all for the cost of your airfare. Read Volunteer Vacations for hundreds more opportunities for you and your family.

What’s your dream vacation? Share your thoughts here!