Most people like to take vacations, but when it comes to spending time with family, things can get interesting real fast. Maybe you have a little brother who you love and support most of the time, but whenever you're home he's obnoxiously loud practicing his guitar or playing video games.
Or maybe you get annoyed with your sister because she constantly borrows clothes from your closet. Either way, in a day-to-day situation these problems can be solved with a little bit of space and communication, but family vacations never fail to get the tensions to rise to a whole new level.
Although conflict does sometimes arise during family vacations, it's important to remember why family vacations are essential in creating a family bond.
When I was in first grade, my family thought it would be a great idea to take a trip to Disney World. Since I was very young during the trip, I don't remember a whole lot besides the fact that I got to meet all these different characters I had seen on TV (Goofy was by far my favorite at the time).
I remember the excitement that rushed through my body when I saw the Magic Kingdom in person, as it was every six-year-old's dream. I also remember the complete shift of our family dynamic once we got back from the trip.
My sisters and I became closer than we had ever been before, and for the first time ever they would "hang out" with me willingly. This was a huge deal for me, and it was during this time that I realized how impactful a family vacation really could be on the relationships within my family.
Many years later, my family went to Alaska for my parent's 25th anniversary. It was the only state my mom hadn't been to yet, and we were all thrilled to go. Nevertheless, conflict arose the moment we took our first footsteps into the hotel room.
My sisters and I immediately began to argue over who would get a bed to themselves and who have to share. This would be the first of many arguments to occur throughout the trip. During our free time, we never agreed over what we wanted to do or what we wanted to eat. No worries though, arguing was not the only thing we did on the trip.
In fact, it was a very small portion of our family vacation. Instead, we zip-lined through the mountains of Denali National Park, we rafted down the Nenana River, and we made memories that would ultimately last us a lifetime.
It was during this trip that I realized it could be our last as only us five. I knew that my sisters were starting their careers and moving away from home, and being able to get everyone together at the same time was going to be very difficult and only get harder from here on out.
Ultimately, I learned to cherish every moment of that trip and even the moments I get to spend with them today.
All in all, it's important to be able to spend time with your family while you still can and to experience moments you would not otherwise experience. Every once in a while, it's good to get away from the rest of the world and to be able to spend quality time with your family, even if conflicts do arise.
Being exposed to a completely new atmosphere in it self is a great experience, but being able to spend that time with people who love and support you just makes it that much better. For my family, vacations were a learning experience for everyone and only strengthened our relationships with ourselves and each other.
