On our way to a family vacation in Tennessee, my family began talking about how our trips have changed so much over the years, and I realized how in my 21 years of life, the family vacation drive has changed drastically. Check out the evolution of the family vacation from the point of view of a 21-year-old.
1. The Car Seat And Cassette Tape Stage
At about 8.2 hours into a nine hour trip, the kids start saying, “I give up. Let’s just turn around and go home.” (I know this from personal experience.)
Bathroom Break Frequency: No stops! Diapers and little car toilets.
2. More Car Seats Plus A Portable TV With A VHS Player
Mom runs the stack of VHS tapes, which must include "Tom and Jerry," "Jungle Book" and "Cinderella." Mom also doubles as the snack bar, distributing mini water bottles, CapriSuns and muffins.
Bathroom Break Frequency: Every time a movie ends.
3. No More Car Seats And Personal Portable DVD Players
Heaven forbid the car get too hot because those things certainly do not work in the heat. Cue the angry glares at the one sibling whose DVD player works the entire trip while yours keeps freezing.
Bathroom Break Frequency: Two to three stops. Lunch counts as a break.
4. MP3 Players And Handheld Video Games
You still try to use the old DVD players, but end up just listening to your personal music because you’re too old to deal with the heart break of the DVD player breaking in the middle of "The Princess Diaries."
Bathroom Break Frequency: You hold it for a while, trying not to say anything because you’re a preteen or teenager, and you’re cooler than that. Eventually, you give in and stop twice.
5. Laptops And Earbuds
Everyone charges their laptop to 100 percent, turns down the brightness and watches their own movie until the laptop dies. You also hide the laptop with pillows and blankets at every stop in case someone peeps in your car.
Bathroom Break Frequency: You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit because you’re a teenager now and your parents know you can hold it for more than 20 minutes.
6. iPads, iPhones And Homework In The Car
The younger kids use their Apple products while the older ones do homework for their amazing, fun (ha) summer classes. Everyone is quiet and the parents wonder if there are actually people in the back two rows of the car.
Bathroom Break Frequency: Once, but only if the trip is over six hours. Don’t you dare ruin the pace.
In my family, vacation drives have changed so much over the years. However, the one thing that has not changed is the opportunity to make wonderful memories with people I love, the giggles and jokes told in the car and the siblings bickering over who sits in the squished back row.
How has the family vacation evolved over your life time?
