Escape Plan: How to Take an Epic Weekend Trip and Still Make It Back to Work on Monday

Sometimes you just have to get away. Unfortunately, you don’t always have the time you’d like for a long-term escape. Here in workaholic America, we get two weeks a year, a holiday here and there, and other than that, it’s just the all too short weekend. Fear not, corporate drone, just because you don’t have a ton of time doesn’t mean you can’t get away from it all. The trick is to have a plan to make the most out of what little time you have.

Part of the joy in taking a trip is spontaneity, but sometimes you’re actually better off with a little bit of planning. You don’t have to come up with an itemized itinerary, but some measure of preparation can bring that perfect weekend that seemed unattainable within reach.

Let’s talk about how to plan an amazing weekend that won’t leave you calling in sick at the beginning of the week. Let’s talk about how to make the most of Saturday and Sunday without giving yourself a case of the Mondays. This is your Escape Plan: How to Take an Epic Weekend Trip and Still Make It Back to Work on Monday.

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  Be Prepared
  

  A great trip opportunity can come up on the spur of the moment. A deal on a Las Vegas hotel or the boss leaving the office early on Friday may change your plans from a weekend on the couch watching Netflix to a weekend of adventure, and you need to be ready. That isn’t to say that you should always have a bag packed and ready to go, but there are a few items you can purchase to make getting away a little easier. Here are some items to have on hand for when you decide you need a weekend where things get out of hand.

  Backpack: Take some time and find the right bag for you. Choose a bag that isn’t too big, but can fit everything you need.

  Sleeping bag: A backpacking sleeping bag can be helpful even if you aren’t a camper. They don’t take up much space and you’ll be glad you have one if you end up sleeping on a hotel floor.

  Travel-sized hygiene products: Grab extras from hotels and you can build yourself a stockpile real quick.

  Spare toothbrush: Because you’re guaranteed to lose it.

  Flashlight: Spur of the moment trips can take you in crazy directions. At least make sure those strange paths are well lit.

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  Pick the Right Copilot
  

  When you plan a trip, the company you keep is more important than the destination. No matter how antisocial or introverted you may be, there is probably someone in your life that you have fun with no matter where you go. These are the kind of people that you want to take on random trips. That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t take a chance on a spontaneous companion, but before you embark on your journey take a moment to think. Is this person a Sam or a Gollum? Some people can make glorious destinations like Vegas or Miami a drag. There are others who could find a way to have fun even if you dropped them in the middle of Amish Country.

  Before you put your key in the ignition, look to your right. The person sitting next to you can make or break your weekend. Choose wisely.

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  Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
  

  Remember that a weekend is only two days long. A trip that sounds totally doable as you stare out the window daydreaming on an anxious Friday afternoon can lead to a weekend spent mostly sitting in traffic. Also, remember that travel time on Friday night often provides no indication of how long the drive will take on Sunday afternoon, when everyone is trying to head back all at once. Before you shove off for the weekend, talk to someone who has made the trek before. Many adventurous gamblers have jetted from L.A. to Vegas late Friday on a holiday weekend, not realizing that a trip that takes three hours on Friday night could take seven hours on Sunday. Many East Coast adventurers have spent most of their New York weekends transferring from trains to subways, and back again. Attempt only what you have time for. No one can hit every club in Portland or every bar in New Orleans in one weekend.

  Remember, like General Douglas MacArthur, you shall return.

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  Have a Plan of Attack
  

  Not only should you have a specific destination in mind when you hit the road, but you should think about exactly what you want to do. If you head to Vegas, decide if you want to focus on gambling, shows, or clubs. If you’re heading into the wilderness, consider what trails you’ll take and what mountains you’ll climb. If you’re planning a weekend in a mammoth city like New York, narrow down what neighborhoods you want to explore. It’s tempting to try to take on an entire city over the course of a weekend, but you’re better off taking on a true metropolis in bite-sized chunks.

  Nobody likes a micro-managing itinerary, but if you can wake up Saturday morning knowing where you’re headed, you’ll have a much more fulfilling Saturday night.

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  Look for Last-Minute Deals
  

  In the Internet age last minute planning is not only possible, sometimes it can save you more money than months of advance planning. If you’re traveling with a friend, enlist your co-pilot as a bargain hunter. Apps like Hotels Tonight and websites like Priceline offer great last-minute deals. Many hotel apps and websites reward flexibility by granting steep discounts to customers willing to book a room blindly in a given area.

  This approach doesn’t just apply to hotels. Whatever you’re interests may be, take a minute to look for last-minute deals, re-sales, and cancelations. Whether you’re looking to grab a Groupon for scuba lessons or to purchase game-time hockey tickets on StubHub, sometimes it pays to procrastinate.

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  Go Big on Friday Night
  

  If you can manage to get out of work and on the highway quickly, and your destination isn’t too far away, make Friday night your biggest party night. This is just simple logic. If you rage on the first day of your mini-vacation, then you’ll have more time to recover before Monday. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t have fun on Saturday, but a Saturday night that ends on Sunday at 4 in the morning likely means that your recovery time is going to bleed in Monday morning. A Friday night that ends at 4 in the morning just means you might miss brunch.

  Don’t ruin your night out by obsessing about work on Monday, but in the back of your mind, remember that on Sunday morning you’re going to have to haul yourself out of whatever gutter you fell into and put the pieces of your life back together.

  Go big Friday, rally on Saturday, and then maybe you’ll get up when you need to on Sunday.

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  Forget Your Responsibilities…for a Little While
  

  You’ve planned the trip as best you can. You’re responsible enough to get yourself back home before your boss slips you a pink slip. You’re going to be fine. Make sure that when you’re at the main event of your weekend, whether it’s on a mountaintop surrounded by ridiculous beauty or at the club surrounded by ridiculous booty, you are enjoying the moment.

  As you get older, the pressures of adulthood get more and more real by the day. Turn off your email. Don’t answer your phone unless it’s for a booty call. You may even want to consider resisting the urge to post every meal you eat to Instagram. Be in the moment, because once you’re back at work on Monday, that moment will be gone forever.

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  Have an Exit Strategy
  

  Part of the fun of a spontaneous trip is going wherever the night may take you. While it is amazing to wake up some place and not know exactly how you got there, it is absolutely terrible when you get to some place amazing only to realize that you don’t know how you’re going to get back. Whether you familiarize yourself with the city’s public transit, plan on using Uber or Lyft, or throw up the bat signal to an acquaintance who lives near by, know how you’re going to get back to your crash pad—even if you’re lucky enough not to need a ride home until the next morning.

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  Find the Remedies That Work for You
  

  Everyone has his or her favorite remedy for the pain and discomfort that comes on the heels of an epic night out. For some, preventative measures like pumping fluids and taking Advil before you fall asleep is the preferred way to counteract the strains that arise from a long night of partying. Many New Yorkers will tell you that a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from a bodega is the only way to recover from a night of serious shenanigans. The more health conscious among us might prefer coconut milk or kombucha. We could debate the science behind various cures and remedies until the cows come home. The point isn’t that there is a particularly perfect cure. If you find a routine that results in a smoother Sunday morning, you have a better chance of making it to work on Monday, whatever that trick may be. I’ve personally never met anyone who isn’t helped by a huge, greasy chicken-fried steak smothered in gravy on a Sunday morning, but, again, to each their own.

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  Make Time to Transition Back to the Real World
  

  It is going to be tempting to squeeze in some last minute fun late Sunday morning. The thing is that before you know it, Sunday morning bleeds into Sunday afternoon and you’ve held on to your getaway past it’s expiration date. Hit the road with enough time to give yourself some breathing room. If you need some motivation to cut your trip short, pick something to get back to town for. Maybe you want to watch that episode of Game of Thrones. Maybe you don’t want to miss Sunday Night Football. Maybe you want to spend a quiet evening alone with your girl. Whatever your go-to chill move is, make time to unwind once you get back to the crib. Give yourself a moment to unpack, shower, and mentally prepare for the week ahead. Wash the beautiful shame of the weekend away and sleep off whatever it is you need to sleep off. You have responsibilities after all, and Sunday night is the time to let them come drifting back toward the front of your mind.

  Don’t worry. You’ll be able to forget all about them again the next time you get away for the weekend.

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