I used to hate going on family vacations, I had always been an independent and slightly rebellious single child. I hated being stuck in a foreign country, cooped up with my parents in a hotel room. The worst was when they decided to join actual tour groups, I dreaded those vacations, not only were the other attendees usually far older than me, but it also meant I’d be forced to wake up early to get on the tour bus every day while listening to a boring tour guide drone on and on about various tidbits that I didn’t particularly care for.

Attending school in the US for the past five years or so have given me a completely new outlook on these family outings, however. The last five years have been hectic, with parental contact being sporadic at best. To be quite honest, I thought the freedom I gained was simply amazing, still do in fact. I've had the time of my life at boarding school and college and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

At the same time, however, it has also taught me to appreciate the time that I do get to spend my parents that much more.

As I board my flight for Russia via Dubai with my parents for what may very well be our last family vacation, there's a certain sense of melancholy, accompanied by a sobering realisation.

My parents aren’t getting any younger, and while time isn’t exactly running out, per say, there is an increasingly tangible point at which they will throw in the towel and are no longer able to deal with the stress of long-haul flights, the frenzied schedules etc. That’s ok, because that’s just the way things go, and personally, I believe it’s better to simply enjoy the time you have rather than overthinking about the future and whatnot.

To close, I just want to thank my parents for, well everything really. I know I haven’t been the easiest kid to deal with (far from it), but you’ve stood with me every single time without fail and I appreciate that more than you could ever know.

I love you.