Why I love planning vacations I'll never take

Imagine your dream vacation. Then don't take it.

Sometimes the best part of a vacation is the planning.
(Image credit: Photo Illustration | Images courtesy iStock, AirBnB)

I spend way more time than I should on Airbnb. I love scrolling through other people's lovingly decorated (or hideously appointed) rental properties and homes around the world, and imagining which most suits my needs for a beach weekend away, a jaunt in the woods, a cheap-but-restorative mini-cation to an idyllic small town, or perhaps a refreshing dose of NEVER WOULD I EVER STAY IN THAT HELLHOLE, WHY AM I CONSIDERING A VACATION ANYWAY WHEN MY LIFE IS PRETTY GOOD RIGHT HERE?

The thing is, I'm not planning an actual vacation. I just like to look.

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Jen Doll

Jen Doll is the author of the memoir Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest. She's also the managing editor for Mental Floss magazine and has written for The Atlantic, Esquire, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Hairpin, New York magazine, The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review The Village Voice, and other publications.