Stage 1: Anticipation
You just booked everything, it is all squared away. It is happening, you are taking a week to yourself in a place that will relieve all of your stresses. You march into your boss's office and ask politely for the week off. Mission accomplished, vacation here you come!
Stage 2: Stress
It is a week before your vacation, now is the time to freak out. You are excited, and trying to get everything ready on time. You know your vacation will be great but aren't you forgetting to pack something?
Stage 3: Eagerness
The day has come, today's the day you leave the town you live in for the big time. Whether you're flying or driving it never seems as if time goes by quick enough. You smile to yourself while you're in your mode of transportation, thinking "I can't believe I'm actually doing this".
Stage 4: Remembrance
This usually occurs after your eager thoughts about getting there. This is the time where you know that it is too late to turn back, but you begin remembering everything you happened to forget. Sometimes you even remember the exact spot you left it. "Oh well," you think.
Stage 5: Excitement
You're here! It's time! Vacation is underway! Put on your sunscreen and flip flops and begin enjoying your time off.
Stage 6: Relaxation
This is about the time of the vacation where you don't really think about anything, sometimes you don't know what day it is anymore. At this point, you have some bits of sunburn on you but you are still having the time of your life.
Stage 7: I Miss…
A day or two after the relaxation stage comes the stage of missing certain things. Maybe it is your dog at home, or a special co-worker, or a friend you wish you invited with you. Regardless, you're beginning to think about home and your time away from vacation.
Stage 8: Ready to go Home
It is one of the last days of your trip, you really are enjoying yourself, but the place you're staying at is not your first choice of where to live. You miss certain aspects of your home, your rugs, your shades, your decor. This is how you know your vacation was spent well.
Stage 9: Acceptance
As you step foot back onto your plane or car, you realize that your time there is up. You look around once more before letting out a sigh, vacation is over.
Stage 10: Annoyance
Once again it feels as if the trip home is the longest trip ever to be taken on the planet. You are so excited to be home, yet home doesn't seem close at all.
Stage 11: Agitation
At this point, you are home. You are happy you are home, but you also don't want to go back to work the next day. Somehow you wish you could make it back to stage 6, but you know it is not able to happen. You go back to work and hear "How was your trip?" But your only response is "It was nice".
Stage 12: Denial
You refuse to believe you are no longer on vacation. Every day you're putting lotion onto your tan so it does not peel off, you're drinking a fruity drink while sitting in a lawn chair in your backyard. Vacation was not long enough so you are completely embracing the fact that you're still on vacation, just in your backyard.
Stage 13: Surrender
You now believe that your vacation is over, you're not okay with it, but it is what needs to happen. You get back on the grind of daily life.
Stage 14: Establishment
Although you know you have plenty of time, you begin looking at vacation booking sites. Beginning the process for your next trip.
