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.
