Most people I have talked to in my very short 19 years have been on a family vacation at least once in their lives. Whether that vacation was simply just a weekend away to a different state, or a couple weeks away in another country, most tend to have experienced what it's like to be on vacation.

For me, my family and I go on vacation every year to stay in the same cottage at the same beach in the same town with the same people. Contrary to what it might seem, this has not and will not ever get old. A family vacation, no matter where or when, is always a special one.

A string of cottages lining the Atlantic in Cape Cod holds a very important place in my family's heart. Every single June my immediate family, as well as all of my aunts, uncles and cousins take a trip to stay by the water. Despite living 25 minutes away from the water here in Connecticut, this water is different. I'm not quite referring to the physical properties of the water as I am what the water means to me. The water, as well as the beach, the food, the environment, and the people, are valued differently. As much as I love my hometown and the people there that help make it a home, a vacation can have the very same significance (if done right).

A vacation isn't simply just a get away from everyone and everything back home. A vacation isn't simply a trip so that you are able to relax elsewhere, away from home. A vacation doesn't need to be of the most expense, one at a 5 star hotel with the best dining. A vacation doesn't need to be taken to a well known town, city, state, or country. Although it is technically a "getaway", a vacation shouldn't need to be all of those things. A vacation needs to be of the utmost value to those taking it. A vacation should be one taken with loved ones, whether friends or family, where fun can be had, no matter the circumstances.

So, as easy as it would be for me to make a list of extraordinary vacation spots, I'm not going to. It's always nice to vacate somewhere beautiful, and Cape Cod very well is, but it's certainly better to be with the ones you care about while on your trip away from home.