Visitor fatigue
 

Seven days in to a fourteen day visit and I'm feeling battered. My visitor has done nothing wrong, she's friendly, helpful, no trouble at all but I'm feeling the strain of entertaining, deciding what to eat, where to visit, what to see. Talking even, I'm not used to talking and listening all day.

How long do you last before you collapse on the couch clutching paracetamol?

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I turned our spare bedroom into a dressing room. Visitor problem solved. :sneaky:

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I don't get many visitors, which is just as well. The worst thing about moving so far away is that any who do come want to stay for so long to make it 'worth it'. It doesn't take long before everything annoys me unfortunately. Someone just being there is such a strain that even people trying not to be annoying is annoying.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I feel your pain. We used to have almost entire families descend on us for three weeks at a time - they felt that since they were coming such a long way it was important to maximize their visit!

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

For you, I'd recommend clutching a bottle of gin instead.

Hang in there, I can't usually manage as long as you have already. :unsure:

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Lol, it's time the visitor did some self exploring now u shown them the ropes.

Or take em to a spa, and treat the both of you :@)

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Oh yes, copious quantities of gin and tonic are being downed. Visitor makes them but with not enough gin or ice. :ohmy:

Newly retired so not much income these days. Visitor has gone out for a long walk so I'm basking in the silence.

Haha, maybe we'll come and take you out for a Timmies! That's almost like a spa????

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Visitors are like fish. After three days, they smell. Having said that we've just had BIL/SIL for two weeks (16 days) and they were quite happy to sit in back garden, sunbathing and reading which suited me just fine. They're actually quite good company but we're glad to get back to our regular routine. They've been before so we've done all the touristy things with them.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Understandable.

To answer your question: 3 days.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I feel your pain. We are six days in on a visit from MIL, only another 27!!! to go. It's hard work trying to keep cheery and keep her occupied. :(

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I know where you are coming from, but i have only had 2 visitors in the 7 years ive been here and no family, so i suppose its more of a novelty to me when they do come, if they come.

Only problem with me is the exception of a few obvious tourist attractions, and as im single most my entertainng takes place in various pubs! lol so its like a holiday anyway..... I remember the wife of my last visitor feeling a bit pubbed out at the end of it.....so it worked the opposite away for me! lol :rofl:

I may be saying the opposite if and when they do come though.....as they make statements like when we do come, we want to make it worth it. I odnt get that, its just a 7 hour flight, whats the big deal???

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Have you asked them what the big deal is about? Could it be some kind of protest?

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Last time my parents were visiting I managed a week and a half. Which is a week longer than usual...for that I thank my medication!

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

The only visitors I get are a couple of active service officers on leave. I just give them a key and fob and leave them to it. No tour-guiding needed as apparently their only goal while here is to hook up with as many girls they can, but as I have a rule that they can't bring any back to our place, I don't see much of them. My mother on the other hand checks into a hotel when she comes to visit, not out of any sense of good grace its just she wouldn't step foot in our meager apartment. :rofl:

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

We stay in a hotel when we go to our daughter's for Christmas visits ........... her husband can't stand his routine being disrupted for more than 3 days. We're usually there for 9 days.

He has been diagnosed as high on the autism scale .............. extremely intelligent, low on social skills, and this dislike of upset routines is one of the common symptoms in a lot of people!

After several trips of attempting to live with his antics, pushing ourselves as far into the corner as possible so we'd be out of the way, etc etc, we finally decided 2 years ago that it made for a much better, much less stressful and therefore more enjoyable visit if we went stayed somewhere else.

Of course it makes the trip to see them about $1200 more expensive

We've usually been lucky ourselves ............ our visitors have wanted to see other parts of BC, or visit with friends elsewhere. Our visits from mother-i-l were usually split into two ................ she would make sure she spent equal time with OH and his sister who lived 800 km north of here. If she came for a 4 week visit, she'd spend the first and last weeks with us, her daughter had her for 2 weeks.


We've just had a couple visiting from the UK ........... drove from Calgary to here, spent Friday to Tuesday with us, then drove back to Calgary. They camped much of the time. The guy had been several times before, so after one day when OH showed them the sights, they took themselves off and guy showed his new partner around. We saw them in the morning for breakfast and then not until dinner.

Still, the talking and the drinking tired us out!

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

About a day, having visitors stresses me out.

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So glad I'm not alone! I do look forward to the visitors but it's so tiring,

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

^^ This. It's always fun to see a friend swing by and turn the guest room into a zoo after you spent a full day scrubbing the house from top to bottom.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

That's me that is. :lol:

Being in New Zealand we seem to have an annual stream of visitors. I love seeing them and playing catch up and all that but it is as you say, quite hard work to make their stay enjoyable as it can be.

My days are quite quiet without people around all the time so I know what you mean about the talking and listening. I usually find I end up with a weird type of sore throat which I think is my vocal chords getting rid of the rust on them.:p

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I think a lot of you are just looking for things to be stressed out by. I'd of thought most of you would be at work all day and so your visitors would just take care of themselves, then all you have to do is meet up for dinner somewhere. :confused:

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

We normally have at least 3 sets of visitors a year. Some take care of themselves, others have to be wet nursed. The only things that irritate me are everyone sits around and waits for me to get home to cook, and they all think we are on holiday too. So staying up drinking until 2am every freakin night is acceptable.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

In 10 years in Australia I've had one visitor who stayed 2 weeks. I work all day so gave her the bus/train schedule and a bunch of pamphlets of stuff to do.

When I visit Canada I either stay with my sister, which is like being at home, or if I'm not alone I stay at an AirBNB house so I can do what I want and not impose.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Well done on making it to 7 days! When the in-laws came to visit 1 day was too long, and they stayed for 3 weeks :eek: We had a number of things planned for them but the only things they wanted to do was sit in the garden and eat at expensive restaurants. :thumbdown: (Cheap) alcohol did help.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Do live anywhere nice?

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

No, but they never do anything else at home so I suppose they just wanted to continue as normal, and the restaurants weren't anything special but they just wanted the ones that cost more even if they weren't better than the cheaper ones :confused:

and just in case it isn't obvious I don't like the in-laws

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

That is unfortunate but I'm afraid that is quite a common thing. Most people have appalling taste when it comes to restaurants. :thumbdown:

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Were they picking up the tab?

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Tell me about it! They took us to some real horrors in the UK too!

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They offered once or maybe twice, but otherwise we were, so they had to slum it a few times :ohmy: and we certainly knew they weren't happy about it. Oh well, they haven't been back since, so maybe that's the answer if you want the visits cut short ;)

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Can I come for a visit? I promise I'll leave before I become annoying 😎

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We get 2 or 3 lots every year- usually for 2 weeks at a time and sometimes back to back!
I love to see them but it's one hell of a strain on my patience, energy and bank balance.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Anytime ;)

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How about me? I promise nothing.

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I think with a couple of my friends, yes i think it is a protest, they resent me for moving away from them. Family....not so sure, there is the kids factor, but i think a lot of it is becuase they really dont know what its like here, they think Toronto and Niagara falls is Canada.

For example my sister says well yes we would like to come, but when we do, we would like to head down to Florida while we are there.... WHY??? why would you want to go to Florida if you came to Canada in the middle of summer??? I gaurantee if i booked a week at a cottage (with my boat there too) my young nephews (and sis and bro in law for that matter) would have the time of their lives, there would be no need for a trip to Florida in the height of a southern Ontario summer!

They just dont get it, they have a perceived view of Canada and have blinkers on i think. Added to that travelling accross the Atlantic is a HUGE event, whereas for us expats.....its just another trip thats been done many times before.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

I guess I am lucky in 2 regards.

One, I have no friends so none to worry about stopping by or wanting to visit.

And no spare bedroom.

MIL comes every so often though and that throws off my routine which then leads to stress. I am a person of routine, I can't really have much variation from said routine day to day.


My parents have not visited in 11 years but when they did they stayed at a hotel. They understand a one bed room apartment is too small for guests.

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Given your self-imposed exile from Canada I feel fairly safe in assuring you of a warm welcome.;) always best to call ahead though as I am (pretty sure I can arrange to be) out a lot. ;):p

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

Harrumph. I'm glad that you don't want to visit france. :sneaky:

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

So are they not used to taking long haul trips? Mostly vacationing in UK and Europe?

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

We lived in Southern Ontario and rented a cottage in Tobermory. Visitors sent a postcard to friends saying they were in Northern Canada!

Re: Visitor fatigue
 

It's always the lack of funds people bring not helped by the weak pound that pisses me off.

They seem to think it's an all inclusive when they arrive.