Traveling is not all sweetness, clear skies and delicious food. Striving for that kind of brochure perfection in every moment of a two-week trip is damn near impossible, and doomed.
The children will have a bad day at Disneyland, the husband will refuse to step foot in any more museums, possibly for the rest of his life, the wife threatens to murder anyone who suggests taking another drive to visit charming Italian hillside villages – it is possible to take the bad and the frustration in stride and allow for a timeout.
Don’t discuss it, don’t share because that will escalate the bad feelings, and you want to get back on track with the vacation, the adventure, the life. But it helps to place frustration somewhere. And the journal (not Facebook) is the best receptacle to dump all those feelings.
Before you say anything out loud, write down everything about the disappointment, in capital letters, in angry squiggles, unflattering portraits and sit with it for a day. During a trip, it will work out. You’ll have a better meal, you’ll find a more interesting museum. The children will recover enough to demand an expensive breakable souvenir.
You will take photos of only the happy times, but in the interest of truth, journal about the bad times as well as the good.