What to say on Bumble when she asks me what my last vacation was like

Her question is an invitation to show how you see things, not a request for a log. The fact that she mentioned beaches versus cities in the example suggests she is sorting people by taste, and she wants to see which camp you fall into and how you describe it. A good read is that she wants a small window into your sense of fun. A bad read is that she wants a complete account of where you went.

That means the useful detail is usually the texture: the thing that surprised you, the place that was nothing like you expected, the meal you still think about. Pick one of those. If you can say what you liked and why in a sentence, you have given her enough to respond to. If your only answer is the destination name, she has nothing to hook onto.

The first shape is the single moment: one scene from the trip, told briefly, ending on how it felt. It works because it gives her something vivid and invites her to share a comparable moment. You can tell a draft is this shape when it describes one thing happening rather than a sequence of things. It should leave out the logistics of getting there.

The second shape is the opinion: you state a clear preference about the kind of trip it was and whether you would repeat it. This works well when she has already signaled her own taste, because it lets you agree or push back playfully. It should leave out long justification. A clear view in one or two sentences is stronger than a defence of it.

The third shape is the trade: you answer briefly and then ask about her last trip or where she would go next. This works when your answer is naturally short, because the question carries the conversation. It should leave out a second question stacked on the first, since two questions at once usually get answered only in part.

Reply the same day if you can, while the question is still the most recent thing in the thread. Waiting until the next morning is fine if your answer needs a bit of thought, but leaving it for three days makes it feel like you forgot, and she may have moved on to another match. If you are at work or busy, send a short real answer rather than a long one you will finish later.

If she does not respond within a day or two, do not send a second copy of the same question. You can send one light follow-up that adds something new, such as a photo or a related thought, but a second push that just repeats the ask reads as chasing. If there is still no reply after that, let it go. A thread that dies after a good exchange was not the one to keep spending effort on.