A Wren Says

It’s almost a requirement at this point. I enter the hotel room and flip on the TV. I flip through all of the channels and watch all of the shows I don’t make time to watch at home. Seeing Beat Bobby Flay on TV could almost lead to a Pavlovian “you are on vacation now” response. There’s the Food Network, but also all of the episodes of the MTV reality shows I watch when there is nothing on the schedule.

I used to think that this little ritual was a sign that I am bad at traveling. Because if you’re sitting around and watching TV, that means you’re wasting your trip. But really, I have just gotten good at leisure. I have done a good job of putting my mind at ease and relaxing. I allow myself to take pleasure in the little things, like eating in bed and watching trash TV.

I won’t apologize or try to explain away or even eliminate this little guilty pleasure. If the whole point of a vacation is to relax, does it really matter how?

That’s mine. What’s your travel guilty pleasure? Or what is the little thing you let yourself do on vacation?