We try to take a family vacation at least once a year. Whether we’re spending a day exploring Lake Tahoe, or a week in Hawaii, many of our most treasured memories have been created on a family vacation.
Animal watching on our last family vacation in San Diego
I suppose you could say that Ray and I started this tradition, if you will, when we were first married. We didn’t have a whole lot of extra money, but with the help of my Grandfather and the use of his time-share, we were able to spend several days in San Diego, which is still one of our favorite places to vacation. We decided then that, no matter how big our family ever grew, we would make time for some sort of vacation as often as we could. Most of them, we knew, would be road trips.
I have many stories to tell about the fun adventures we’ve had while on vacation. In fact, some you can read right here, but others I will save for another day. For now, I want to stress how important I believe it is to take time away from the daily routine of home life…
For us, family vacations, often mean one long field trip. No matter where we take our kiddos, we always make a point to explore with the kids – geography, history, science, and even math lessons are disguised in helping Daddy navigate our journey, exploring museums, or trips to the beach.
Vacations allow families to re-connect on a much deeper level, whether your family consists of just you and your spouse, or you – like us – have a plethora of children. Not only does this special time away create an opportunity to take a break from our responsibilities, but it allows the time for us to really see each other.
As moms, do we take time to just watch our children laugh and play, jumping in to laugh and play with them? As wives, do we sit and bask in the silence with our husband, just enjoying his company? Not at home! There are dishes to wash, phone calls to make, and laundry to do.
Hmmm, I’m thinking it’s time for us to plan another family vacation.
What about you?
I am writing this post to participate in the Golden Inn Resort “What is the importance of a Vacation” sweepstakes for a chance to randomly win a full conference ticket to Blogher 2010. You can learn more about the Jersey Shore Resort and contest at their blog.
