Remember that vacation you took to visit your aunts, uncles and cousins when you were a little nugget? Your grandparents were there too! It was an epic trip with food, fun and a very welcome change of scenery. Unfortunately, your parents pay not quite remember it that way, because traveling to visit family is a completely different animal once you become an adult. It can put a whole new spin on the word “vacation”. This is what you can expect when you take your family trip back to the place where you grew up.
Everything’s The Same, Yet Different
Spending time in the house you grew up in can be fun—for the first 24 hours or so. Sleeping with your spouse in a twin or even full size bed (lucky you) is oddly reminiscent of some experiences you had as a teenager, best not relieved with the love of your life present. If your parents house has enough bedrooms, you may get your own room to sleep in, but that won’t keep well-meaning relatives from walking in first thing in the morning to welcome you home. Vacation doesn’t start until 10am, doesn’t everyone know this? Make sure you wear underwear to bed, just in case.
If bedrooms aren’t a debacle, you may still find yourself breaking rules you didn’t realize you still had to play by as an adult. Just because your wife doesn’t take issue with the toilet seat being up, doesn’t mean your mother won’t, and your mother is the wrong person to cross on the first day of vacation. Be prepared to help dad clean out the attic and write grandma a thank you note for the $5 she left you as a welcome home present as well.
You may feel different being back to visit home as an adult, but to your parents you’re still a kid—even if you have kids of your own—so be prepared to be treated accordingly.
When’s The Vacation Gonna Start?
Mom and dad are going to have plans, so be sure to talk about who you need to visit and when before you start to plan out your own epic family vacation. Sometimes, it can feel like more of a staycation because, let’s be honest, you’ve done this all before. A local basketball game and dinner at Auntie’s house doesn’t always make for the most luxurious getaway.
Believe it or not, going to the place where you grew up hold lots of allure as far as vacation goes.
Not only can you visit all your favorite local spots like hiking trails and ice cream joints, you can always search for some activities you never experienced before. There’s likely lots of local gems you never knew existed until you grew up and became intimately acquainted with the Google. Try to convince your family members to try these new things with you and your brood.
Get Togethers Are Bitter Sweet
There’s nothing like a big family BBQ. It’s exciting to see all the people you love most, but then there’s always the chance your going to run into some old acquaintances that make the whole day a tad awkward. First of all, beware of those lovely older relatives who insist on hugging, kissing and pinching your kids in a way that makes you all acutely uncomfortable. Steer clear of drinking games that will get you and your favorite cousin in a competitive tisy. Wait a minute, is that your high school sweetheart at the grill?! Why would your mom think inviting him was a good idea?
There’s so much love and life at home, and family is important, so don’t put a family vacation completely out of the realm of possibilities. If you plan on a group vacation, however, it might be worth considering meeting up at a destination that’s neutral to everyone to make the most of your hard-earned vacation time.
