Family Vacations

We recently returned from a family vacation to Ft. Myers Beach, FL for Spring Break. I love to go away with my family. It doesn’t matter if it’s a day trip, weekend trip, or an actual “get out of Michigan” vacation. Over the years I have realized how important vacations are for relationships.

Our vacation began by leaving late afternoon on a Thursday. The five of us left in our 168,000-mile, somewhat five-seater Santa Fe vehicle. Fortunately, our 55 pound chocolate lab was the fifth passenger, and she was getting dropped off four hours down the road. The traffic was light, the weather was clear, and we were making good time. After leaving the dog with some very good friends, we were on our way to warmer weather. My husband and I prefer to drive through the night when we drive to Florida. The traffic is lighter, and by the time we get tired, it is beginning to get light out and a new day is beginning. After 20 or so hours of driving, we arrived at a hotel to spend the night. Reaching this first leg of our trip at 1:00 in the afternoon was awesome as we sat by the pool in the warm sun, relaxing our crowded minds.

When we reach Florida the next day, we were definitely in vacation mode. While there, we spent time at the beach, time at the pool, and time with friends and family.  My husband was able to fish, I read, and the boys did what teenage boys do on vacation…have fun. No matter where we go on vacation, how we get there, or how long we stay, I always appreciate the time we get to spend together, away from the daily grind of life. Even cooking, doing dishes, or washing clothes on vacation seems easier than at home.

Our vacation this year was even more special to me due to the

relationships we sustained. We were able to see my husband’s brother, who actually lives in Montana. He happened to be working a couple of hours from where we were staying. We also

spent time with two of my husband’s uncles and a cousin, who he hasn’t seen in over 13 years. The time we spent with friends was just as enjoyable as the time we spent with family. Isn’t it ironic that we have to go on vacation to find time to spend with friends from home?

This may sound like the perfect vacation, but I don’t think we’ve ever had one. The trials we endure on vacation are just as important in building our relationships as the fun parts. Driving home to Michigan from Florida on I-75 after the Easter holiday week is like waiting in line for a ride at an amusement park. You don’t move very fast and you see the same people (cars in this case) over and over again. While my husband has little patience for this type of driving, even I was getting frustrated with how long it took us to just get out of Florida. We had planned on spending the night somewhere on the road, but we had lost so much time that we decided to push through and drive through the night. As difficult as this was, the fact that we were able to spend a stress-free day at home, before our busy schedules of school and work, was worth it.

We’ve had other vacations that were less than perfect. The Christmas my husband and I got engaged, we were driving from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to the Detroit area. As we were crossing the Mackinac Bridge, the 1968 Ford truck we were driving started to make a humming noise. Within five miles after crossing the bridge, one of our back tires rolled past us into the median. We’ve had plenty of mishaps on our sailing vacations as well. There’s a running joke that we honor the water gods every year because we lose something overboard. Sometimes it’s a small thing like a tool or a towel, but there have been much bigger items like the grill grate or the dinghy. On every two week vacation we’ve attempted, we’ve realized that nine days is our family’s max. By day nine, my husband wants to sleep in his own bed, the boys miss their friends, and I want to get back to some normalcy in our lives. Even with all the trials, I look back at these times and am thankful that we continue to go on vacation.

We may not have had any vacations like the Grizwold’s (i.e., Chevy Chase’s family vacation movies), but even with the disagreements over where to eat, worrying about spending too much money, and situations beyond our control, I wouldn’t trade any of the time we’ve spent together as a family. Every time together is an opportunity to learn more about each other. It’s a chance to create memories that we can tell to our children or grandchildren. It’s the sense of pride in knowing that we endured some discomfort and survived…while having fun in the process (well, at some point we had fun). I’m looking forward to the next vacation, wherever it takes us.

Miles driven: 3,500

Eating at fast food restaurants: $200
Gas to drive 50 hours in a smallish car: $500
Watching my family while they sleep in the car: Priceless