Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating. And they definitely can be, but let’s be real—vacations also come with loads of stress!

My family and I are about to embark on our first full-fledged family vacation. We’ve done the road trips and cottages, but this will be our first plane-ride-plus-hotel-in-a-new-city kind of adventure. You know, the full package deal. As a young adult, I’m caught in this strange in-between of “I’m going on vacation with my parents, so I’ll get to relax and be taken care of” and “I’m the big sister and family planner—this is on me!!”

As much as I’d love to kick back and hope everything magically falls into place like it did when I was a kid, that’s not the reality I’m facing. From choosing and booking the flights and hotel to ensuring my family is clear on those TSA guidelines, let alone planning what we’re going to do once we’re actually there… there’s so much remembering, planning, anticipating, and organizing that needs to go into this. And then, of course, I need to communicate all of it to my family members.

Destination overlaod

First, there’s the dilemma of picking a destination that everyone will enjoy. Dad wants a place with historical sites, Mom prefers somewhere with good shopping, and my younger brother is all about that beach life. Then, there’s the budget—finding a balance between a dream vacation and one that won’t drain our savings is no small feat. Add to that the challenge of coordinating everyone’s schedules, making sure we have enough time off work and school, and you’ve got a recipe for stress.

A piled up packing list

As the designated family planner, it’s on me to make sure everyone brings what they need. But how do you ensure that nobody forgets their essentials without micromanaging? I find myself constantly reminding my family to pack their chargers, sunscreen, and swimwear. Then there’s the task of making sure our luggage meets airline requirements. No one wants to be that family holding up the line at check-in because their bags are overweight.

Once we finally arrive at our destination, the real fun begins—or so I hope. Planning activities that cater to everyone’s interests while also leaving room for relaxation is a balancing act. I want to ensure we hit all the must-see spots without turning the vacation into a nonstop, draining marathon of activities. And, of course as a self-proclaimed foodie, I need to find family-friendly restaurants and make reservations to avoid the dreaded “hangry” moments.

If I had it my way, there’d be one central place that I could brain dump all this stuff in.

I need a tool to help me:

Create a collaborative packing list
Add links to itineraries and flight details so they’re always on deck
Save the measurements of our luggage and automatically import size & weight restrictions for our airline
Notify us of any important details we may have forgotten about
Make it easy to share our trip details with neighbors
Include activity recommendations that we can vote on

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! I’m tired of sending details in the iMessage group chat only for them to never be seen again. It would be so wonderful to have one tool I could use as a central hub, where my family members could go in and see everything right there.

Oh wait! That’s exactly what my team and I are working on right now.

We’re developing this fancy new thing called eeva, a home and life management platform that will do exactly what I’m wishing for. It’ll let me add my family members and share any details and information I might need in one central location. It’s not out just yet, but it will be SO soon, and I am SO excited.

Learn more about eeva here.

Think someone could benefit from reading this? Share it with ‘em!