Whether it’s work, school or just the daily grind, everyone needs to take a vacation. But where to go? What to do? The choices are endless. Read on, and figure out your perfect getaway.

1. Which of the following ideas appeals to you the most:
a. Top accommodations with everything taken care of.
b. Seeing as much as possible in what time you have.
c. Using your time to help others.
d. On the go, constant excitement.

2. Your friends would most describe you as:
a. Calm and relaxed
b. Impatient and easily bored
c. Caring and thoughtful
d. A daredevil

3. The number one thing you look for in a vacation is:
a. Comfort
b. Diversity
c. Meaning
d. Exercise

4. Your hobbies mostly consist of:
a. Relaxing with a good book or movie
b. Museums, art galleries, anything historical
c. Volunteering for different organizations
d. Hiking, biking, anything outdoors really

5. The true meaning of vacation to you is:
a. Absolutely no work, and no decisions to be made.
b. Seeing and learning something new every day.
c. Travel while helping others at the same time.
d. Enjoying the great outdoors with a front row view.

6. Which celebrity’s travel habits would you love to have?
a. Paris Hilton
b. Lauren Graham
c. Angelina Jolie
d. Matthew McConaughey

7. When you go somewhere new, you want to check out your surroundings by:
a. Taking part in a few hotel-planned activities like a leisurely horseback ride on the beach.
b. Taking your guide book and heading out.
c. Taking others along who may have wanted to see the sights too.
d. Getting on a bike and pedaling your way around.

8. When you have children, you hope to show them the world by starting with:
a. The hot and sunny tropics
b. Great Britain, Europe, Asia, the whole nine yards.
c. An area in need of help.
d. The mountains, the oceans, the biking and hiking trails.

9. If your significant other was surprising you with the vacation of your dreams, but it is still a secret, you would pack:
a. Sunscreen, a bathing suit and a good book
b. Good walking shoes and a Eurail pass
c. Reusable items, you like to plan ahead so as not to create garbage in your host country.
d. Your hiking boots and scuba gear.

10. You know when you look back on life; you’ll always regret not seeing:
a. The sunset in Maui.
b. The Eiffel Tower.
c. Something great being done with your help.
d. Shooting the rapids in Brazil.

Mostly A’s: All inclusive

As someone who truly enjoys all the comforts of home, nothing less than an all-inclusive vacation will suffice. With everything from your hotel room to your meals taken care of, you are free to sit back and relax with a good book, or just laying in the sun with a drink (prepaid!) in your hand.

Mostly B’s: Backpacking through Europe

Impatient and easily bored, diversity is the name of your vacation game. Moving from city to city and seeing new sights every day is what you’re looking for. With museums, historical sights and an abundance of different culture, Europe’s many cities have something for every backpacker.

Mostly C’s: Volunteer vacation

Putting other people’s welfare ahead of your own is your standard operating procedure. From helping build a community, to teaching English to studying marine life, a volunteer vacation will give you that sense of helping others that you are looking for in your vacation.

Mostly D’s: Adventure vacation

A physical thrill-seeker, rafting the Ottawa River is old news to you. Nothing but the highest mountain to the roughest rapids will hold your attention, and thankfully you’ve got plenty to choose from in Canada. Stretching both your physical and geographical limits is what you seek, so go for it!

Merriam-Webster defines holidays as,

…a period of exemption or relief.

Wikipedia defines both holidays and vacations as,

A general leave of absence or vacation from a regular occupation for rest or recreation.

So why aren’t they? Holidays, overall – definitely aren’t what they used to be. These days, most of us don’t really have a true holiday, as we might’ve been so fortunate to experience when we were kids. As we’ve all got one foot now solidly in the “grown-up” world, we split our time-off being equally busy (if not more) at personal holiday tasks (shopping, cooking, ‘making merry’) rather than being occupied 9-to-5 (during business hours – for those of us that are lucky to work the daily minimum) doing business things at work. In essence, the only true difference is the qualifier – we’re still as busy as we are (if not more), we’re just choosing to trim the tree and attend friends’ gatherings instead of collate copies and produce power point presentations. While most don’t take the time to reflect on these differences, a remarkable and impactful fact remains: holiday stress has more of a negative effect and result on our health and well-being than regular day-to-day stressors combined (…for most of us; I can’t comment on those that build skyscrapers without nets, or lion tamers.) I know that we all know how crazy the holidays get, but have you thought about the differences that you personally experience during your own holiday time? Why do we let our holiday be taken over so that it becomes nothing more than a change of tasks, with no real break?

Merriam-Webster defines vacations as,

…a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission; a scheduled period during which activity is suspended; a period of exemption …spent away from home or business in travel or recreation <had a restful vacation at the beach>; an act or an instance of vacating.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! Reflect on this stark difference next time you’re planning a break from your regular routine, whatever time of year. Remember, it’s about recharging yourself so that you can give back to those you love, (…that includes you!)