The Perfect Choice

"Ask Alina", Family Travel Concierge Advice Column.

Dear Alina,

Our family needs a relaxing vacation and time together. After weeks of research, I found the perfect resort for our vacation. The resort has everything that I want: simplicity, authentic luxury, excellent food, great customer service, beautiful beach, and a top notch spa. The only thing that I dislike about this resort is that it is on a small, secluded island, and getting there involves a 30-minute water taxi ride. I just don't like this idea because it means that we are secluded. Still, this is a fantastic resort, a celebrity hot spot, and a perfect place for our family to spend time together. Alex from Family Travel Concierge researched dozens of hotels that could possibly fit my criteria, and although he found some great options, he agreed with me that the original resort that I found is the best. Now, having looked at so many options, I’m just confused. I can’t make a decision because I’m not 100% sure that I’ll pick the best resort for us. How can I be assured that I make the perfect choice? Family Travel Concierge says that a great vacation is better than no vacation, and that all of our choices look good, but I want to make sure that I make the right choice, without a shadow of a doubt. Help!

Dear Perfect,

Personally, I’m not a big fan of boats and water taxis due to sea sickness, but I can tell you that visiting Venice was unforgettable, while wearing sea-bands or chewing on ginger on a water taxi ride into the city was entirely forgettable (I don’t recall now which remedy I used). In my understanding your concern is not sea sickness , but the fact that resort is secluded. It sounds like your options are the following: 1) going to the perfect resort with a 30-minute water taxi, 2) choosing from the 2-3 great-but-slightly-inferior resorts suggested by the Family Travel Concierge as an alternative to taking the water taxi, or 3) not going anywhere at all. Perhaps, instead of thinking what your perfect match would be, consider what your biggest regret would be with any of these decisions. What would you regret more: not choosing a worse resort but without the water taxi if you go with option number 1, not picking a better resort if you go with option number 2, or not going on vacation at all if you pick option number 3? By the way, if you are not making a decision at all, by default you are picking option number 3 and missing a vacation entirely. I would have to agree with Family Travel Concierge: if you want a restful, beautiful family get-away, choosing any vacation is closer to perfect than staying home. Happy travels!

- Alina

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Alina Bas, M.A., is an Executive Coach and a Life Strategist who helps leaders connect to fulfilling work and live an engaging life. She has over 10 years of corporate experience in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership Development, and is a co-author of the book “Changes of the Heart”, offering the best coaching strategies for life’s toughest moments. Connect with Alina at www.MindTerrainCoaching.com
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