The Stages Of A Family Vacation
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

The Stages Of A Family Vacation

Traveling with the most important people in your life can be a kind of emotional roller coaster

22
The Stages Of A Family Vacation
Compression Stocking and More

Summer is finally here. The weather is warmer. The bugs are biting. You are finally sleeping. You have all these exciting plans, like catching up with old friends, getting a tan, and making serious bank at your new summer job.

Among those plans, there may be a family vacation or two. It could be camping, or a road trip, or, if you are lucky, you may even fly somewhere kind of exciting. Any family vacation you take is likely to include some of these stages:

1. Excitement

Your parents have informed you that you all are going to spend a week at the beach. You are so excited! This is going to make this summer the best one yet.

2. Anticipation

You can't wait! You are counting down the days until you can be in the sun, getting the tan you want, while perhaps drinking some fruity, delicious drink that you can't make back home. The wait is killing you, and your hometown has never been so dull.

3. Preparation

Might as well use this dreadful waiting period for something useful: start preparing. You probably need a new swim suit and a cute sun dress (or three) for this trip. You might as well get a haircut and pedicure, after all, you gotta look your best while soaking up that vitamin D (and on all those pictures you'll post on social media).

4. Realization

You are finally on the way, and that's when it hits you: this is a family vacation. They will probably embarrass you and make you roll your eyes more than a few times.

5. Acceptance

So what if your dad complains about the amount of "unnecessary" clothing that you brought and your little brother won't shut up? You will have a good time, after all, you love these people, right?

7. Skeptical Enjoyment

You have accepted your fate. You are at the beach with your family, and you are actually enjoying it. It seems strange, at first. You are not supposed to want to spend time gossiping with your mom, so why are you enjoying it? Like really enjoying it.

8. Slight Relief

You return to your dull hometown, but you are slightly relived. You don't have to share a bed with your sister, or a bathroom with your entire family. You get to return to your normal life, and continue having the best summer ever.

9. Wishing to go back

It may not have been perfect, but it was still amazing. You bonded and made incredible memories with your weird family, so you want to go back. It doesn't have to be the beach. You just want you and your family to be (forced to be) together, just you. And that's when they tell you that next weekend, you all are going camping.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

80940
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

49253
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

980431
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments