I recently took a three-week vacation with my mother, at first I had my doubts, I could have gone on a trip to Europe with two of my best friends instead of my mom and sister, but I agreed and allowed our adventures begin.

We started our trip in Europe. We went to Amsterdam and Germany and we were having a great time. I mean it wasn't anything new, after all, we took summer vacations as a family before. What got me thinking though, was when we got back the states, we went to New York, and it was just my mother and me.

I still clearly remember the actual moment where I was hit with that "wow!" thought. I had made reservations to go eat at the Blue Box, the new restaurant at Tiffany's. It had always been a dream of mine to go there of course after I watch the movie, so I told my mom and I made the reservation.

As I was sitting in front of her, I thought this is awesome, not just the lunch, but the whole trip was awesome. It wasn't because she paid for must of my stuff, but because I had reached a point in my life where things were changing.

I'm a college student, our mindsets start to change, we think that going on vacation with friends is better than going with family, but at that moment, sitting right in front of my mother, I realized that that was a moment in my life that makes everything worth it. I was laughing, talking, really talking, not having to act a certain way to be liked, it was just me, the daughter that my mom had always seen.

I taken plenty of family vacations, my parents think that a holiday without family is not really a holiday. I used to think that it was stupid, that I needed to spend time with my friends, instead of family.

But I realized that it's not, I was wrong.

My family's vacations have truly been the best vacations of my life. As I sat there, looking at my mom, and seeing how much she was enjoying herself, she turned to look at me, grabbed my hand and just said: "thank you."

I started to wonder why she had to tell me that, we traveled together before, why did that two-word simple phrase do something to me. I asked her why did she thank me, and she told me a story about her boss who had just told her that it was crazy how, at almost 21, I still enjoyed to just spend time with my mother without her having to ask for it or really force me to do it, like he had to with his son's.

It was that moment, those simple words that made ME thankful for the family that I have and all those little moments we spend together are what makes us the close family we are, and I really wish that everyone could have the same family experience I do.