The end of summer vacation is upon us like winter from "Game of Thrones." Only it came a lot faster than six years.
I looked outside into my backyard today and was reminded of something that I have been dreading for a few months now. For it t’was a thin layer of scattered dead leaves.
Fall is almost here.
Though I do enjoy the fall and winter style carried over with the season, I don't care too much for daylight savings. The days are too short and the nights are too long. I also hate being cooped up indoors for so long. Most of all, all my happy memories come from my summer vacations.
From when I was born until I turned 16, I would go with my family to a vacation resort almost every weekend in the summer time. The best way I could describe this resort would be themed camping. I say this because everyone lived in trailers that had television, running water, air conditioning and a kitchen fit with a full size refrigerator and oven/stove. The trailers were tightly packed as if you were living in the suburbs which meant you got to know your neighbors pretty well. I had free reign to ride my bike around the 41 acre enclosure complete with three public pools and hot tubs, a small shop that sells camping materials, and candy, a mini golf course, two lakes with paddle boating, arts and crafts/gaming center, and an outback forest area. Like I said, it wasn't real camping, it's themed camping.
Growing up I would spend my time in the swamp with my siblings catching frogs and turtles (don't worry we'd let them go), or I was riding my bike around for hours doing whatever I wanted. That's right, the kids ran around having fun while the adults often got together and partied until they were good and drunk. In fact my parents first bought their site in near a group of people that was always involved in running the events they held, like building the spook barn for Halloween, or roasting a pig for Labor Day, or the DJ they hired for big events. I constantly saw behind the curtain because my parents are one of the most well-known names in the area. To this day I can probably stop a random person and introduce myself as "Marty's Son" and they would go "Ooooh you're Marty's son, I remember you when you were like 5 years old." I felt privileged.
These days I tend to not go up there as much. Maybe I got too busy with school and work and being a journalist. Although my parents still go which means I have free reign of the house to myself for a large portion of my summer. Considering I am 21, I'd say this suits me much better.
As a child, fall meant that I didn't get to go to the camp ground until spring. As a college student, the fall means my parents are home until spring, and my friends are too busy with school to hang out. I often feel isolated and stuck in the same routine with the same people every day. It’s enough to drive me mad sometimes. Every winter I dream of spending it in a place that doesn't experience winter like we do. Maybe California or Oregon. Anyway I can only hope that you experience better winters then me and always remember how amazing the spring and summer will feel afterwards.
