How to avoid that "in a mission" feeling?

About to make my \[21m\] third travel this october, around 2-3 weeks in europe. past trips were good but it did not feel like a vacation, more like a mission. when you have deadlines, check-list of all the places you wanna see and visit, check-ins, check-outs, trains, plans etc all of that - i felt more like an agent in a federal mission rather than a man try to chill. it may has something to do with how i planned it, maybe too much on a too short schedule - but idk - i would let myself assume that the avearge person\\family going to a vacation is also doing the same, given the fact that he doesnt have the resources and the privilage doing long trips in one main area and also havent seen much prior the travel. So - the two travels i did before, turned out to be the most busy and stressful time of the year, kinda opposite of what it should have been. I had a good time and made life memories, but at the time that it actually accured - i didn't enjoy given how stocked it was, felt more like a check mark on the schedule and actually felt relief after i was back home. i started to feel the joy and haapines from the vacation only after i was home and the memories sank in. how do i avoid make it a pattern with future trips? --- **Post Details:** - **Subreddit:** r/solotravel - **Author:** u/Froogacar - **Score:** 14 upvotes - **Upvote Ratio:** 75.0% - **Comments:** 22 - **Posted:** 7/6/2025 - **URL:** https://reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/1lsyde1/how_to_avoid_that_in_a_mission_feeling/