Vacation 101

Today we explore the rules of Vacation 101. It's our first ever real vacation as a family, meaning not one of our usual weekend or short stays visiting friends or family in Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, or Illinois, that we just call a vacation in order to get our kids excited about spending somewhere between 4 - 6 hours in a car on our way there just to see it all in reverse a few days later.

I used to remember as a kid in school when the teacher would reward us for being good during a reel-to-reel movie by playing it backwards as it rewound. We would laugh and laugh as the boring movie we just saw became a humorous enjoyment. I even caught the teachers trying not to grin a few times! Maybe it's the incessant crying over my right shoulder that makes the trip seem longer, or my praying that it would change to whining just for a change of pace, but either way, seeing the same stretch of road for 4-6 hours in reverse is not as humorous as the reel-to-reel in my younger days. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd pass on some things I learned in my numerous road trips that may help you as you begin your travel season.

Rule #1 - Vacation starts when you leave work, not when you leave town. This is very important. So often we stress about leaving "on time" that we bicker and fight while packing up the car that it actually delays us longer. And you thought the car was cramped before you got in with your last minute items that now have no place but to sit on your lap or next to your feet. On top of that, you're fuming, and the thought of being this close to other family members for hours on end is only making it worse! Take it from me, learn that your vacation started the minute you stepped out the door at work. Sure you want to hurry home and get the car packed, but what's the rush.... you're already on vacation!! This rule is fundamental to understanding that your vacation is more enjoyable if you arrive happy, than if you arrive "on time" but in a bad mood.

Rule #2 - If you mess up on Rule# 2, the radio does not fix it. Make no mistake, people who start off bickering and fighting while packing stop the bickering once the trunk is closed. But that doesn't make them happy, as they are still upset. The tension in the air is exaggerated now that the doors are closed, and in an effort to ease the uncomfortable silence, someone inevitably reaches for the radio. DON'T DO IT. It will only be the source of another argument. Better off reading a magazine and let the mesmerizing mile marker signs massage the air.

Rule #3 - Vacation is an adventure. Sure, everyone has their agenda, but not everything goes according to plan. This can either make you upset, or you can decide to make the most of it. Take for instance our vacation to the annual Ferris Family Reunion. On the first day, 3 hours into it, (and after 2 hrs 45 minutes, and 37 seconds of a certain strong-willed child crying and deciding not to use his words) we realized that in order to make it to our dinner location, 45 miles away, by our dinner time in 30 minutes, I would have to drive 90 miles an hour. So, we opted for a safer alternative and checked out the local fare. (Local, meaning middle of nowhere, S. Illinois.) And we're glad we did. Had we not taken that Vienna, Illinois exit, we would not have had the opportunity to chose between Jumbo's B-B-Q, and Dolly's Country Cookin'. I mean how can you beat that! A place where the food's good, the price is cheap, the establishment is... special, and the bathrooms are an experience all in itself.

Well, that was Day 1 of the Ferris Family Reunion. We're having fun, and we haven't even arrived at our destination yet! Stay tuned as we review another chapter in our Vacation Rule book.