Change of view

CHANGE. Whether of pace, activity, or scene, change and the new perspectives that come with it are what vacations are all about. That zest for a shift explains why vacationers traveling even to what they consider the most idyllic spots find the inhabitants often just as eager to leave as visitors are to come.

One taxi driver in Bermuda, who insists he loves the beauty of that volcanic island and would never want to leave, notes proudly that he has visited the United States exactly 27 times. Another, whose relatives came from the Portuguese Azores to work on construction projects, has been visiting his married daughter in England. A hotel chambermaid, home after two weeks in Vancouver, British Columbia, says she is eager to save toward her next excursion.

For the US vacationer, package tours make lush destinations increasingly affordable. New arrivals in Bermuda are not allowed past customs unless they have a hotel, or can quickly book one, and a return ticket. Officials know that the warm breezes, the pink and white sandy beaches, the turquoise waters, and the fragrant scent of the oleander have a way of making every visitor want to postpone any return to the office.

The fun of vacation remains the change. The shift from the routine, whether it involves mental traveling, painting pictures, or cleaning closets, makes for renewal.

A perpetual vacation would be no vacation. As a baggage checker at Bermuda's airport reminded one recent group of visitors who were reluctant to depart: ``If you want to come back, you're going to have to leave - otherwise you'd be staying indefinitely.''