my vacation is stressing me out

We're taking time off in May. Right now, we've got frequent flyer tickets to Costa Rica. We've got one of our places booked, but we have until the 6th of March to cancel without penalty. After totaling up the cost of the Costa Rica trip, the costs came to almost $5000. Yikes. That's a chunk. We can go back to St. John in May for about $2600, not including a little bit of spending (we eat lots of meals in there). That's almost half as much!

I'm conflicted. I put pressure on myself to see and try new things, trying to collect travel experiences like they are a valuable commodity. But they aren't. The goal of my vacations right now should be to relax, cause I have major problems doing that these days. Eight nights on St. John sounds heavenly. I've only been once, and I saw less than a quarter of what there is to see of that rich island.

I also think that Costa Rica is a fabulous family destination for kids in the 6-13 age range. We've probably got time to do that trip after we have kids. On the other hand, I really grew fond of the ideas of seeing monkeys, sloths and macaws in their native habitats.

Can someone tell me what to do (don't answer that question). I don't think vacation is supposed to be this stressful. Am I right folks?