At the beginning of every trip your thoughts are filled with expectations. For this trip in particular I was looking forward to the 4th of July parade where Emma (4) will be riding her bike for the first time, and Esther (2) will be sitting in her bike seat waving to the crowd. I am looking forward to seeing Emma and her class singing on stage, playing beach volleyball, basketball, swimming, and listening to a great speaker.
There were 13 of us sleeping at my parents cottage. This included my two brothers and their families. My parents actually left every night to sleep in their mobile home a short drive away. I think deep down they sought a little peace and quiet every night. And you know how it is, you never sleep that well your first night at a new place. The mattress is never as comfortable as the one at home and you’re dealing with a lot more people. Not everyone has the same early to bed early to rise mentality that I do. You certainly can’t dictate when people go to bed.
Meals. First off who brings what? Where do you store your food in an already filled up fridge? Who gets to shower first? (aka who gets the hot water). Then who cleans up? Washes the dishes? Takes the garbage to the dump? And amongst all this work, when do you actually relax?
Then your parents are there but then you’re also a parent. This is weird. Are they still in charge because they are the parents or are you in charge because you’ve got kids to yell at too? So who makes the decisions? No one, right? Because no one wants to look bossy so you just stand around looking at each other trying to make simple decisions like when and what to eat. And there’s a million kids running around and everybody is tired, right? So do you go on vacation to relax or do you need a vacation from your vacation because it’s exhausting.
Maybe our group should head to Disney World. On second thought. Probably not.
Do you vacation with your extended family? Is it more comfortable to go with your own parents or your in-laws (duh). Who makes the decisions? Or is it just easier to vacation with your own family? I mean, who pays for what on extended family vacations? So awkward! Are these types of vacations fun? For real. Let’s be honest.
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