Beach vacation, day 5: what I like best
I love our family reunion vacations. We used to do them every year. I felt guilty for not taking the kids to places like Disney World more often; I even considered skipping a year to do that, but when I asked the kids what was their favorite vacation, they both said, "Going to the beach with our cousins." My son couldn't make it this year, but my daughter is here.
We have not been to the beach in five years; this is our first visit since my younger brother passed away four years ago. His family couldn't come this year, either, and we miss them, too.
Except for the fact that the days pass too quickly, we always have a good time. Here is what I like best about spending a week at the beach with my extended family:
1) Seeing people I love but don't get to see often
2) Being near the ocean; we always get a house right on the beach so we can look out the window and see the ocean at all the different times of the day.
3) Having time to read and write
4) Food! We almost never eat out and we take turns cooking dinner (we have some excellent cooks in my family)
5) Family traditions. We do a lot of the same things every year (family charades night, buying fudge, the Christmas shop, trips to Dairy Queen)
6) Not thinking about work (much)
7) Being able to find my way around; the Outer Banks is a long narrow strip of land; most of the time there are either one or two north-south routes and the cross streets are only a few blocks long. You can't really get lost.
8) Not commuting
9) Sleeping in
10) Dairy Queen (I decided it needed its own category; we almost never go except when we're at the beach)
Now that my nephew-in-law is here, we are up to 19 people in the house. So, what's the most number of people you've gone on vacation with? Can anyone out there top 19?
We have not been to the beach in five years; this is our first visit since my younger brother passed away four years ago. His family couldn't come this year, either, and we miss them, too.
Except for the fact that the days pass too quickly, we always have a good time. Here is what I like best about spending a week at the beach with my extended family:
1) Seeing people I love but don't get to see often
2) Being near the ocean; we always get a house right on the beach so we can look out the window and see the ocean at all the different times of the day.
3) Having time to read and write
4) Food! We almost never eat out and we take turns cooking dinner (we have some excellent cooks in my family)
5) Family traditions. We do a lot of the same things every year (family charades night, buying fudge, the Christmas shop, trips to Dairy Queen)
6) Not thinking about work (much)
7) Being able to find my way around; the Outer Banks is a long narrow strip of land; most of the time there are either one or two north-south routes and the cross streets are only a few blocks long. You can't really get lost.
8) Not commuting
9) Sleeping in
10) Dairy Queen (I decided it needed its own category; we almost never go except when we're at the beach)
Now that my nephew-in-law is here, we are up to 19 people in the house. So, what's the most number of people you've gone on vacation with? Can anyone out there top 19?