Incident Record: Vacation Itinerary Overload

Incident Type: Behavioral — Travel Planning Destination: Goa, four nights Itinerary Density: High Stated Purpose of Trip: Rest

Day-by-Day Summary

Day One: 09:00 — Airport. 12:30 — Arrival, transfer confirmed. 14:00 — Check-in, confirmed. 15:30 — Beach walk (specific beach selected). 18:00 — Sunset viewing (specific location with access instructions). 20:00 — Dinner, reservation confirmed.

Time unscheduled: approximately two hours between check-in and beach walk, allocated for unpacking.

Day Two: 08:30 — Breakfast. 10:00 — Old Goa churches (two selected, route planned). 13:00 — Lunch (specific cafe, menu reviewed in advance). 15:00 — Swim. 17:00 — Market. 19:30 — Sunset again. 21:00 — Dinner, second reservation.

Time unscheduled: zero.

Day Three: 06:30 — Sunrise, if possible. 08:00 — Yoga (class booked). 10:30 — Spice plantation tour. 13:30 — Lunch. 15:30 — Resort pool. 17:00 — "Free time." 19:00 — Cocktails with specific view. 21:00 — Dinner.

"Free time" is on the itinerary as a line item.

Contributing Factors

The person planning the itinerary was doing so to prevent the feeling of arriving at a destination and being uncertain what to do. This feeling, experienced on a previous trip, was described as "wasted vacation."

Each item added to the itinerary was added to prevent waste. Each item also required a check to confirm it was still available. The checks created additional items.

Day Four Outcome

By day four, the primary traveler had begun to feel that they needed a vacation from the vacation logistics. A second traveler, who had been following the itinerary, mentioned that they had enjoyed the unplanned forty-minute walk on the morning of day three when the yoga class was at capacity.

This observation was received.

The itinerary for day four was abbreviated.

The trip gains a parallel control system run by anxiety. The system runs whether or not the destination requires it.