Your Ideal Vacation, Based on Your Introverted Myers-Briggs Type

Looking for an ideal vacation spot? Consider your Myers-Briggs personality type.

Even for those who have not lost loved ones, the last 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a challenge. We’ve stayed home, worn masks, and had to learn to adapt to a whole new world. While I realize that not every country is currently in the same situation, from my vantage point in California, it seems like it’s becoming safer for vaccinated individuals to return to a semblance of our old lives. Now that the world of travel and trips is opening back up, many of our extroverted friends will be asking us what we want to do with our unmasked summer.

As we decide what we want to do to get out of our usual routine, our personality type may help. Here are some ideas based on the mental functioning of each introverted Myers-Briggs personality type, based on the theories of Carl Jung. Some of these may interest people of multiple types, so find one you like and try it out if you can!

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Vacation Ideas for Each Introverted Myers-Briggs Personality Type

INTJ: Go on a reading retreat at a secluded cabin

INTJs love learning, and when it comes to work, we’re usually hired for our efficiency or organization. That means spending a lot of time on external tasks and logistics and not much on pure study, staying in our heads to find the insights that motivate us.

As an INTJ myself with a demanding job and family life, I know that I need some time off from being efficient and accomplishing tasks. Over the course of the pandemic, we may have found ourselves working efficiently to accomplish as much as possible. Maybe we helped out coworkers who weren’t able to transition as well to working from home. Or for those who had to go out, we may have been inundated with work, as our organizational skills were needed.

To take a break, INTJs may want to recharge with some time alone… or a lot of time alone. Rather than joining our extroverted friends on the beach or the basketball court, though, we’ll probably find it most relaxing to recharge in our mind. In fact, it may be even better to unplug from the internet and your phone for a day or two.

Go to a comfortable cabin with some snacks and a pile of those books you’ve been wanting to read for months (or years!) and kept saying you would get to once that next project was done. Take some time to just read, relax, and be away from the “live-at-work” environment that your home may have become.

INTP: Attend your favorite convention, like Comic-Con

INTPs love coming up with their own unique ideas and theories, but may have to work in more conventional environments. They may find themselves interacting with coworkers or family members who aren’t as willing to talk about what they’re interested in, like their favorite movies or comic books. Family and friends may listen and even be polite, but it’s not the same as when someone has studied the video game theories you’ve studied, watched the niche anime shows that you’ve watched, or just likes to think in the same way.

If you want to go on a vacation, try a convention. Whether it’s Comic-Con, World Fantasy Con, or one of the numerous other conventions that local fans work so hard to put on, see if there’s one opening up around you or within traveling distance. Whether you’re into D&D, CCGs, Harry Potter, Pokemon, or just a fandom with a cult following, like Firefly or Lovecraft, follow your passion to a convention to talk to like-minded people who won’t mind you talking their ear off. You might even make some new friends.

If you’re an anime fan and you’re really ambitious, you might consider checking out some of the anime/manga meccas in Japan to connect with people who appreciate the same shows. For those of us who are American and English speakers, many Japanese people speak English, particularly in Tokyo, and would probably find it interesting to meet an American who shares their interests. Just be sure to plan ahead and have a friend with you who has a good sense of direction so you don’t get lost!

INFP: Connect with nature, like going on a quiet forest retreat

INFPs love ideas, places, and experiences that remind them of their highest ideals of beauty and goodness. They’re often required to deal with mundane activities, though, that take them away from these places or leave them with little time to be with the things they love. INFPs are open to travel, but they don’t just want to go to new places; they want the experiences to be personally meaningful or to help them come closer to understanding the ideal within themselves.

For INFPs, one vacation idea might be to go to a familiar, beautiful place in nature, such as a forest, far away from everyday concerns. Go there to be alone or experience natural beauty with one special person who can understand your need for quiet and finding meaning. As you walk through the forest, leave behind your daily worries and watch the squirrels search for nuts, listen to the birds sing in the trees, and smell the fresh scent of flowers. You can also talk about beautiful ideas as you walk — hopefully, your companion is a good listener! Whatever helps you find beauty will recharge you and help you remember who you are in the midst of a world that can often make you forget. After all, for many introverts, nature can be the ultimate elixir.

ISTJ: Go back in time on a historical journey, to a place such as Washington, D.C.

ISTJs love reflecting and remembering, but are often employed in similar fields to INTJs, where they are relied on to work efficiently and organize. While they can find some satisfaction in this predictable routine, they need to recharge their introverted side, too. When it comes to traveling, ISTJs may get stuck planning itineraries for everyone, but they should also make sure they’re going somewhere that interests them — which may require a smaller group.

For younger ISTJs, you may enjoy my recommendation for INTPs, to go to a convention for a fandom you’re familiar with and interested in. All ISTJs, however, will likely be interested in going to a historical site that has special significance to them. Maybe it’s a central site in your religion or culture, such as the Vatican, or important events in your country’s history happened there, such as Washington, D.C. You’ll probably want to ask the tour guide for more details and stay longer than other members of your travel group, so take that into consideration. You may want to go solo or go with others who are patient with your need to learn more.

ISFJ: Have a family reunion

ISFJs love reflecting and remembering the familiar, too, but often end up in jobs or family situations where they need to be the helper. During the pandemic, they may have found themselves at home trying to help immediate family members with interpersonal conflicts or at work trying to harmonize relationships between stressed-out coworkers or clients. While a vacation would be nice, the logistics of traveling — and getting everyone to agree on a destination — can be a challenge for sensitive, tender-hearted ISFJs to deal with.

For ISFJs, you probably want a simple vacation with people you love, preferably in a place that stirs up good memories. Think about helping to organize a family reunion, especially if you haven’t been able to see some family members for a while because of the pandemic. You might even have a small-scale reunion with just a couple of families. You may have it at your home, another family member’s home, or in a familiar place you’ve enjoyed in the past, like a park — although a familiar travel destination would be great, too, such as if your family regularly goes to a certain national park.

If your family members aren’t available, try an informal potluck with a few close friends. Make sure it’s not too complicated and you don’t need to coordinate many activities or logistics — just bring some friends over to enjoy some time together.

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ISTP: Go on a wilderness expedition

ISTPs love making things or thinking up new projects to work on. Maybe they involve fixing something, working with their hands, or solving an interesting practical problem. While ISTPs may find job roles that allow them to go outside and do physical activity, often they find themselves working in environments where they need to socialize too much for their comfort. During the pandemic, they may have been able to work from home or remotely, but this would only mean more social contact at home and more having to deal with the challenges of socializing through the medium of a screen.

For ISTPs, a good vacation getaway might involve an outdoor adventure. Consider going camping, backpacking, or mountain biking — anything that gets you moving out in nature. Get away from the emails, socializing, and interpersonal contact you probably have to deal with on a daily basis and refresh yourself with some physical activity. Go outdoors, enjoy the fresh air, and enjoy some time thinking by yourself instead of having to think about how to communicate with other people.

ISFP: Take a trip to the beach

ISFPs love spending time with a few favorite friends and hobbies. They often like to be creative and to explore new places. But they often have to deal with the stressful world of work, family, or school in everyday life. With the pandemic, they may have had to work extra hours, deal with extra family stress, or take classes in circumstances that even the teachers weren’t ready for, like trying to have meaningful discussions over a laggy Zoom call. While they like traveling to new places, they tend to avoid loud, busy groups of people.

For ISFPs, it might be fun to try a beach trip with a few close friends. If you’re ambitious, you might plan a whole trip to Hawaii. If that’s too much to deal with, a beach closer to home could work, too, depending on where you live. Consider going early in the morning to avoid the crowds and to get comfortable with the beach before everyone else shows up. If you and your friends want to meet some new people, you easily can. But if you don’t want to meet new people, there’s always the fun of a day at the beach, staring out at the waves, boogie boarding, or playing some light-hearted games on the sand around a campfire with your inner circle.

INFJ: Have “creative space” at an Airbnb in a new town

INFJs love learning and being creative, but are often employed or find themselves in situations where they are giving advice, helping people in need, or managing relationships. Being the empathetic one in the room who understands both sides of an issue can really help bring harmony to workplaces and families. However, it can be exhausting as the one in the middle. During the pandemic, with families face-to-face more often, and with a lot of drama happening over social media, INFJs may have found themselves caught up in a lot of situations where they’re needed.

If you’re an INFJ, a good vacation idea may be to get away to an Airbnb rental in a quiet town where you can take some time for yourself. Unplug from social media, tell your friends and family you’re not available, and just spend time in your mind. Write down those stories that you keep wanting to create but can’t find the right time, let yourself daydream, or just get back in tune with your own feelings instead of worrying about everyone else’s. A creative space is important for many introverts. Let yourself be spontaneously creative just for the joy of it, without worrying what others will think, whether that means drawing, painting, or picking up that guitar you’ve neglected for far too long. Hopefully, your retreat will inspire you with new insights that will recharge you to go back to normal life afterward.

If you want to learn more about introversion, Jungian types, and how the mind works, subscribe to my podcast Introvert University, available on Apple, Google, Spotify, and more.

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The Vacation You Should Take, Based on Your Introverted Myers-Briggs Type