Here's How To Keep Politics Out Of Your Vacation
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Politics and Activism

Here's How To Keep Politics Out Of Your Vacation

It's about sun and surf, not taxes and trivial arguments.

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Here's How To Keep Politics Out Of Your Vacation
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Vacations used to be a time where work was put away and everyone forgot about the world in favor of kicking up their feet for anywhere from a few days to a week.

Maybe even two weeks. It was a bubble, vacation - one where nothing existed except for tough, life threatening decisions such as how long was needed to spend at the pool. (Was an hour really needed? Of course. How else were fingers to become pruney?)

But now, with the emergence of social media and a continually breaking news cycle, it seems almost impossible to achieve that bubble. The latest political news pops up on the hotel room TV whenever it's turned on, and whether it's by free will or not, the gritty details of the most recent scandal sear themselves into the brain. On a normal day, politics are depressing enough - it's nothing new that parties have never been able to agree with each other, but their constituents constantly trying to destroy each other? Certainly a more emotionally tiring endeavor.

Dealing with politics in daily life is exhausting enough, but on vacation? It has the ability to turn a whole world upside down. And being emotionally exhausted on vacation invalidates the whole reason for taking said vacation to begin with.

For most people, taking a vacation means uprooting themselves and travelling to a new location, one far away from everything built into their lives. (For some, it's just travelling to get away.) It means putting themselves into a new or different environment, perhaps setting themselves some different challenges, or at the very least having a change in routine. It means that everything is different - and the way the world looks to the people there might be different, too.

(After all, no one really travels to places based solely on appeal to their political opinions. Not for a vacation, anyhow.)

Politics being in the picture of a vacation means that there's a whole new wariness to looking at the people around them. It used to be that the person behind in line was just a person. If they were friendly enough, perhaps they were just a person from a certain place who appreciated certain aspects of life. If they differed, that was alright. But in today's society, depending on how that person behaved, they can be automatically associated with a political party or group.

Does that picky family throwing a fuss at the front of the line vote Republican? What about the grumpy Uber driver who got unreasonably angry when she couldn't find her customers? Did she vote Republican as well? That girl in front of you? Behind you? How they voted is a good indicator of how they'll react to certain situations, if the news' framings are anything to go by. Trying to figure someone out - and figuring out how to react appropriately - becomes that emotionally exhausting task.

There's no reason to have to stress during a time of de-stressing; unfortunately, the news cycle stops for no one. Not even those just looking to get some well-needed rest.

The best way to avoid politics during vacation (as well as avoid unnecessary stress) is to keep it simple. Avoid checking social media, including any apps from major news outlets. Don't turn on the TV; if it's absolutely necessary, try to keep away from the news channels. Any to all of them are likely to bring coverage on the latest scandal or incident, and a side will certainly be affected.

Regardless of whoever's side it is, assumptions and expectations will be changed. It requires retaining the information and applying personal opinion to it, seeing where it fits in. Really, it's just too much thinking for vacation. Skip the thinking. Don't let politics affect a vacation.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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