A Branson family vacation is time for rest and recovery. Reflecting on your vacation on the way home or shortly after returning home is a valuable exercise that helps to further cement the positive vibes and memories you gained on your time away. So, schedule some time in the wake of your vacation for some reflection!
Grand Oaks Hotel staff has some ideas that can make this exercise fun and help your family further appreciate and fondly remember your Branson family vacation.
How to reflect on a Branson family vacation
Here are our three favorite ways to reflect following a Branson family vacation:
- Scrapbooking
- Journaling
- Group discussion
By scrapbooking, journaling, or simply sitting down as a family and discussing your favorite vacation moments can help cement them in your memory and add to the positivity time away provides us. Try to choose an option that the whole family and take part in!
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking after you return from a Branson family vacation is a fun and creative way for everyone to reflect on the good times everyone had while away. As an added bonus, you can break out the scrapbook anytime you need to tap into the joy you felt because it’ll be around forever as long as you keep it in a safe, dry place!
Scrapbooking supplies can be as cheap or expensive as you want them to be as you can find them at a number of physical or digital retailers. We’d say to plan, on average, around $70 for your project.
Here are our favorite ideas if you need a spark of inspiration:
- Use a 12×12 binder (or larger) with plastic page inserts and have family members tape their favorite pictures or mementos on construction paper to slide into the inserts
- Use an online scrapbook creator and have each loved one assist in designing a page
- Pick up postcards showing some of your favorite Branson attractions or destinations for use in your scrapbook and have each family member add what they remember about the destination as a caption under the postcard
Scrapbooks are relatively inexpensive and yet can be one of the most cherished items for families. They can be as simple or elaborate as you want, so don’t let this idea create any unneeded stress! If you’re not as creatively inclined, we have other ideas below!
Journaling after a Branson family vacation
Journaling has lots of benefits. When it comes to post-vacation reflection, it can boost memory, gratitude, inspire future vacation ideas, reduce those post-vacation blues, and otherwise help everyone feel good about the time you spent together.
If you’re having trouble coming up with some good prompts, here’s some good questions for everyone to answer in their journal entries:
- What did I enjoy most during our vacation?
- What do I do at home that I was most thankful I didn’t have to do while away? Can I stop, improve, or otherwise change this task?
- Did I learn anything during this family vacation that can improve future trips?
- Did I realize I take something for granted in my everyday life?
- Is there something I wish I did that I was too scared to try? How can I overcome that fear in the future?
- What can I do to increase the enjoyment of future vacations?
Post Branson family vacation discussion
Whether it be on the trip home or after you’ve returned, sitting down as a family to fondly remember your vacation can be a great way to reflect on the new memories you’ve created.
Need some questions to get the conversation going? Here are some of our favorites:
- What was your favorite day on vacation and why?
- Did you meet anyone interesting? What about them do you remember?
- Was there any cultural differences you noticed about the locals?
- What was different about the place you visited? What differences did you like/dislike?
- What historical sites did you visit and what did you learn about them?
- Did you buy any souvenirs? What did you get and which is your favorite and why?
- What was your favorite Branson restaurant?
- What was the most fun thing you did during vacation?
By having a family discussion about your Branson family vacation, you can further cement the experience you’ve had and better prepare you to plan your Branson family vacation for next year. You can try this reflection exercise on the car or plane ride home or after you’ve finished unpacking and settled back in once you’re back.
Picking the right branson hotel adds to your experience
Picking the wrong Branson hotel can detract from the vacation experience. Grand Oaks hotel is one of the closest to everyone’s favorite Branson attractions, is affordable, and has all the amenities you need to have a relaxing stay when you’re not out exploring the Ozarks.
We have plenty of different sizes of hotel rooms to properly host your family as well as adjoining rooms that have doors leading to one another. Looking for something a little more romantic? We have king size rooms with a jacuzzi en suite! If you visit Branson often, we have a loyalty program offering Branson hotel coupons for our location.
