FAMILY TIME
The 5 Best Ways to Enjoy Your Vacation
Find a healthy balance between reality and reality TV
I’ve been here in Paradise for a week — and have seven more days of “roughing it” before I pack it all in and head for home.
I guess I should note here that my “vacations,” as far as they go, mean visiting family. And yes, “family” in this case lives in Hawaii. And yes, I take advantage of their assignment on the Island of Oahu whenever I can.
After a career herding teenagers and scribbling words of wisdom on countless timed essays, I believe I deserve the chance to get away. And I’ll be the first to tell you a vacation in the Land of Aloha is a lot more comfortable when one has a free place to stay.
Not everyone has the chance to visit a relatively “free” tropical destination. But there are a few things you should know before you go — anywhere.
How to solve the puzzle of the perfect vacation? I believe it begins with the balance between what you expect will transpire while you’re away and the actual reality on the ground when you get there.
Nothing wrong, of course, with dreaming big. But remember what actually happens during your travels is what you’ll really remember about the trip — not anything you concocted while visualizing your vacay. The world isn’t one big cacophonous Disney World — thank goodness! — and your actual experience might not come close to any grandiose expectations you might have.
Oh, and also keep in mind the age-old axiom of travel — what might go wrong probably will. Here are five easy tips to make the most of your frequent-flyer miles, no matter where you go — even to visit Aunt Sally and Uncle Rob out in Omaha.
- Traveling right means traveling light. I subscribe to the “Carry-on All the Way” cannon of thinking. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand folks loaded down with this, that and the other. I embark on every journey with two essentials: a small rollie that holds three or four informal outfits, plus necessities, and a backpack. Take the “lug” out of luggage, people! And make sure you’ve got a place to do laundry when you get there, which is why you should always…
- Think of family first. All kinds of perks come with a choice to stay with the fam while you’re on the lam. Not only do they know you, but you know them. There’s not going to be any mystery there, fingers crossed. No, you shouldn’t bunk with your brother-in-law’s sister-in-law who voted for The Former Guy in the past election and just won’t let that loss go. I’m saying pick a person with whom you share a certain love and camaraderie, and take it from there. Bonus points if they have a washer and dryer in their humble abode and if you are inclined to…
- Brave the Big Bad World without a tour guide. The first time I volunteered to rent a car and take my own self up to the beaches on the northern reaches of the Island I probably won my daughter’s love for life. Google Maps is a free app and you’ll only be limited by your own inability or unwillingness to explore. And remember — you’re visiting family, not moving back in with them. They will need a break from time to time from the sheer relentlessness of having house guests. And if the weather is bad and you can’t get out? Just remember…
- Reality TV is always an option. I don’t know about you, but as a recently retired high school English teacher I’ve learned to appreciate the finer aspects of total trash TV. It ain’t Shakespeare, but I cherish moments lying on the ginormous sectional in my kid’s living room with Lulu the Island Hound (short for Honolulu), who’s always down for a good old-fashioned roll in the rhetorical mud. I’ve spent hours with my Millennial child, critiquing the finer points of Teresa Giudice’s makeup techniques (Real Housewives of New Jersey); the pain and suffering (or lack thereof) inflicted upon the couples who get married without ever meeting first (Married at First Sight), or the personal styling of Jorgeous and Jasmine in their lip-sync Battle Royale (Ru Paul’s Drag Race). And when the sun comes out again, keep in mind…
- You don’t have to be entertained, ever. Make sure you’ve got a good book, and take it to a beach or a cafe patio. Explore the free stuff at newly opened museums; enjoy some fresh air at a local park; rent a bike and go for a ride. And above all: Explore your destination’s culinary scene. No, not the fancy four-star restaurants, but the street food, the ethnic offerings, the local Tex-Mex. We grabbed some taquitos and fish tacos while we were out-and-about the other day, and I’m thinking about digging into a combo platter the next time I’m up that way.
One more thing — while you’re sampling some of this new stuff, don’t forget the taste buds of those who are hosting your stay. Save a few bucks while you’re on your own and plan to splurge at a more upscale dive as a treat for the family who invited you to share their particular slice of Paradise in the first place.
Remember — the Guac is always extra, but a family’s love is more than enough.