Vacation

When I was growing up, we went on vacation atleast twice a year. Vacation was always the same. We went to The Florida Keys once a year and we went to Okeefenokee swamp every fall. Now, vacations were about family. we spent 16 hours in a car together on the way to the keys. For you youngun's, back then vacations in a car weren't the same as today. we didn't have airconditioning all the time. we didn't have DVD players and game boys (oh wait, even that reference is old: I mean PS3's), we had little cars that didn't have all it's working seatbelts, and books. we had sisters and brothers that forced you to sit on the floor of the car so they could stretch out and take a nap. Luckily, I learned to fight off motion sickness and read while we drove and sleep on the floor of the car (thank God that Florida is flat and straight). Okeefenokee is a SWAMP. and all the excitement that comes with that. What? you dont know what can be exciting about a swamp? Living in a cabin for a week, riding a boat with alligators and indian burial grounds. and well, swamp creatures. The great thing about that vacation was that there were about 20-30 other people who came with us ,and as a kid, you met new kids to play with each year. We ate donuts on a string, scavenger hunts and misquito counting.
Now I'm 30 and I have kids of my own. What vacations do we do? I have to laugh. We go to the beach (not the keys) every year for the 4th, and we go to okeefenokee every fall. And for some reason, it's more exciting for me now than it ever was as a kid. People know I'm going and ask about it; they ask if I've gone yet and what it's like. I force my children to eat donuts on a string and scavenger hunts. I found myself this past week at the beach, having a contest who could fill up a grocery bag with trash the quickest to get a prize... and they did it! Happily! Forget DVD's kids. Forget TV and ipods. give my kids a book and NATURE and maybe they'll grow up as well-rounded and happy as I am.
Thanks mom for forcing me to sit through all the okeefenokee lectures in the educational hall.
oh and p.s.: Zoe will be celebrating her 4th birthday with the alligators this year. I plan on taking advantage of that! For all my peeps who join me on vacation, we will be the envy of all my friends.