Vacation FOMO

In just under a month I will be in Spain with three of my favorite people in the whole world. This trip has been something we talked about doing for a while and then last September we bit the bullet and bought the plane tickets. There was no looking back once the flights were booked. I can't believe that our trip will be here so soon and I'm starting to think non-stop about what we should do (and what I will wear!). I'm not a HUGE planner on vacations; I like to do some things on a whim so it doesn't feel like work, but also like a bit of planning. But I do suffer from a major case of FOMO. FOMO is well-documented and has even been the subject of a New York Times article. While this particular case of FOMO is not related to social media, it is FOMO none-the-less. Here is what I fear: missing all of the wonderful secret spots in Barcelona, Sevilla and Granada because I'm so focused on visiting all of the "must-sees." Of course we will visit Gaudi's cathedral and see some of his other work. We will walk through Las Ramblas and eat tapas to our hearts (and tummy's ) content. And shopping, oh I will shop shop shop. But those are given, right? I want to discover the real Barcelona. I want to traipse through secret gardens and stumble into hole in the wall restaurants where locals eat. I don't want to miss charming little shops tucked into side streets or miss an opportunity to sit for a few hours on a table that belongs to a lovely sidewalk cafe because I'm stomping around looking for the best place to eat. I just want to be. And live in the moment every second that we are there.

This is the first overseas vacation that J and I have taken (other than our honeymoon, but beach vacations are a little different - I mean who would need to leave here?), so I am probably putting a bit more pressure on it than I need to. I guess that's the first thing I need to let go of - the pressure to make it amazing. Do you have secrets for making the most of your vacation?

1. The rooftop pool at our hotel in Barcelona

2. One of the guest rooms in our Granada hotel