How to Embrace the Oblication

August 27, 2026

Think of all the times you traveled in the last few years. How many of those trips were a true vacation planned and booked because you wanted to? Now how many of those trips were because you had to? Think work conferences, weddings, graduations, and other major milestone events. I’ve heard this called the oblication, or obligatory vacation.

These are trips you have to take, not necessarily trips you want to take. From my own experiences and chatting with friends who frequently travel for oblications, there’s very much a “get in, get out” mentality. They schedule arrivals as close to the event as possible, departing right after. And from start to finish, every single second is accounted for.

I mean, let’s face it. Even the loveliest oblications aren’t the same as a vacation you’ve planned for yourself.

But what if they could be? What if instead of dreading the oblication, we embraced it?

I’ve always been of the firm belief that anywhere can become an adventure if you adjust your approach. And an oblication can easily turn into a vacation with a bit of planning!

Ways to Make the Most of an Oblication

Try adding in an extra few days before or after

Instead of rushing in and out, can you extend your trip a few days and plan something just for yourself? Maybe you have a wedding weekend Friday – Sunday. Can you take off Monday and Tuesday? Or maybe your work conference is Monday – Wednesday. Take off or work remotely Thursday and Friday, and then you’ll have the weekend! Even just an extra day of breathing room where you know you’ll have control of the itinerary can make an oblication feel more like a vacation.

Look into nearby saunas or spas

If you’re the type of person who needs to decompress after an oblication, instead of coming straight home, why not spend an extra day and look into local saunas or spas? I really love the all day spas where you stick your phone in a locker and relax for hours uninterrupted. Think of spots like Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Santa Fe which is inspired by Japanese onsens, or QC Spa New York on Governor’s Island where you can soak in an infinity spa pool while overlooking the water.

Check out nearby parks and hiking trails

My favorite thing to do whenever I need to recenter myself or get some alone time is to find the nearest hiking trail, throw on my sneakers, and go for a nice, long walk. Depending on how isolated the trail is, I might even chat with the trees! I recommend looking into parks near your oblication destination and seeing what you can enjoy. Some ideas to get you started:

Use the Alltrails app to find trails near you – they always have something, and I like that they have their own navigation system.
Look up nearby NPS units – the National Parks get all the attention but there are other units that can have trails like National Historic Sites, National Monuments, and more!
Also look into National Forests and National Wildlife Refuges – these won’t fall under the NPS categorization but there are tons of them all over the country. Most have extensive trail options.
See what the State Parks are like – sometimes a State Park is tiny and sometimes it can rival a National Park in scope. Just look into your state’s park system and see what there is to enjoy.
Check out privately owned parks – every so often I come across a park or forest that’s privately owned so it won’t pop up on any of the above lists. Worth looking into.
Look into bike rentals and trails – Another thing I love to do is hopping on a bike and following a nice, long trail. The Rails to Trail system is fantastic, and I’m always finding ways to bike along one!

See if there are any local events or festivals going on during your trip

Check out your oblication destination’s tourism website and see what upcoming events or festivals are happening. You’d be surprised how even the smallest town can have an extremely active social calendar. I find a lot of places have some of the most unique annual festivals! If you’re visiting family, can you convince them to include said event one afternoon? Or maybe you can come a day early or stay a day later and go on your own. Bonus points if the festival is related to food!

And if there truly isn’t anything going on in your exact destination, look at nearby towns or cities and see what their events calendar looks like.

Bonus: Check out places like Eventbrite or Facebook. See if they have any ongoing events that may not make it to the tourism website but could still be a fun afternoon out.

Check for any shows happening near your oblication

Does your oblication destination have any great theaters or venues? See what shows are on! A lot of them will be listed on a tourism website but if not, they’ll be listed on the venue’s website at the very least. And, hey, if you just want to browse – go on a site like Ticketmaster or Stubhub. Even if you don’t purchase through them, they tend to have listings of all upcoming shows and concerts near you.

All of a sudden, a work trip doesn’t seem so stressful when you have a fun concert to look forward to when everything wraps up!

Stay in a boutique hotel or bed and breakfast

If your oblication includes visiting family, see if you can stay in a boutique hotel or bed and breakfast. Maybe you usually stay at someone’s home, which can result in cramped accommodations and increasingly grumpier interactions. See what cute accommodations are nearby and stay in them instead. It’ll feel a bit more like a vacation, and you’ll have the luxury of staying somewhere separately to decompress.

Also I say a boutique hotel or bed and breakfast to make the occasion feel a little more special! I love a good Days Inn or Hilton Homewood Suites type of hotel but there’s something so lovely about a charming place where the owners are the same ones checking you in and making breakfast in the morning. They also tend to have some good tips on what to do and where to eat.

Research new restaurants, cafes, or bars to try

When you plan a vacation, do you like to plan where and what to eat? Try that around your oblication destination. If one of your oblications is around going to your hometown, when was the last time you looked into a new restaurant, cafe, or brewery opening? I’m always surprised by how the most random places have an incredible food and drink scene! See if you can’t turn one of your evenings into a night out somewhere new or maybe when you go for a coffee run in the morning, check out the new cafe across town. A few members of my film crew have a tradition now of researching local breweries and testing them out!

Book a tour just like a tourist would

If you like booking guided tours when you travel, try booking one in your oblication destination. Sometimes all you need is an extra afternoon or morning to schedule one in. Look into walking tours, museum tours, or maybe even something niche like a pigeon tour or mural tour. When in doubt, check out the smaller offerings on Airbnb Experiences; there’s always someone offering something unique there.

See what there is to do 1-2 hours away

Instead of trying to figure out something to do in your oblication destination, look at places 1-2 hours away. Rent a car or take a train, and all of a sudden you’re far away from your obligations!

Let’s say you’re in a big city for work, here are some examples of where you can go if you can carve out a few extra days to yourself:

NYC – take the train up to Hudson Valley or rent a car and drive down to Bucks County, PA
Atlanta – 2 hours north by car is gorgeous Chattanooga, where city meets mountain, and south is Macon, the birthplace of Southern Rock
Los Angeles – Go for a SoCal road trip or book yourself a few days at a winery in Temecula Valley. Santa Barbara is also only 90 minutes away and is notable for its eternal sunshine!
Chicago – Drive Illinois’ Route 66 or check out Indiana Dunes National Park. You could also do part of Lake Michigan’s Circle Tour.
Las Vegas – Check out the surrounding parks and conservation areas – Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Mount Charleston, etc.
Orlando – Go to the Space Coast on one side or Tampa on the other. About 90 minutes up north you’ve also got St. Augustine!
New Orleans – Across the way is a cute town called Covington. A little over 2 hours to the west is Lafayette and Cajun Country. Towards the east are the Gulf Shores of Alabama.
Denver – Head over to Colorado Springs, of course! You can also head to Vail.
Phoenix – Go up north towards Sedona or Flagstaff. Flagstaff is also on Route 66, so you can use is a jumping off point for a road trip.