Sam and I went on vacation last week with my entire family! We had a great time, it was so nice to get away. It has been years since I went someplace warm during the winter.
Traveling to another country is an experience. Not to mention, doing it with your whole family is double the experience. With three different generations, there are a lot of things to consider. Where is the nearest bathroom, who is hot, who is thirsty, who needs to snap a picture, where the sunscreen is, where we are meeting for cocktails, coffee, etc.
So, I put together a top 10 list of things that surface in my mind as I think about the past week and ready myself for re-entry into work, which is TODAY–by the time you read this.
10. You are reminded of how organized and systematic we are in the United States. Riding in a car in the DR is like an out-of-body experience. Panic-stricken, it’s like you are hovering over the situation and praying for your life as your driver gets you through sheer mayhem at ungodly speeds!
9. A policeman can take pity on people driving 20 miles over the speed limit on their way to the airport at 3 in the morning. Thank you, Troy police officer 🙂 I DID slow down at your request and still got there on time.
8. Putting on sunscreen is a full-time job when you are of European descent and go to a country close to the equator in the winter. No major sunburns. We took our job very seriously!
7. Like every family, our family is funny in their own-way. Old and new memories (“It’s wine, but it’s PORT–Oh Didda! You make us laugh!).
6. Always good to be cultured in different foods–even if it means a “cleansing” of the digestive system afterward for the whole family…for days!
5. A massage in another country feels better than in your own. Maybe because you are in full-on relaxation mode and really can relax?
4. I learned that most pelicans will die from a detached retina due to the blunt force of diving into the ocean after fish. When they can’t see, they can’t feed themselves and starve. Thank you, Christopher, for that little tidbit of information. I am still thinking about it, feeling sorry for the poor, gawky-looking birds.
3. Iguanas run fast on golf courses and are a little scary.
2. You can never have enough golf balls on a golf course you have never played. In fact, you may break the bank on them if you are not careful. Sam and I were so thankful for our greenskeeper on the 15th hole. Man, we were down to our last two balls after going through about 20! And Sam is a really good golfer–I think we were both a little stressed out about possibly losing all of our balls or marbles, I am not sure which. LOL
AND, the number 1 reason to go on vacation in the DR with your family is…
1. You will never appreciate your bed as well as you do when you return after a fun-filled week away!!
Thank you for a fantastic week, Mum and Dad. We had a great trip and enjoyed our family time immensely. Thank you for always prioritizing our family and instilling the ability not to take ourselves too seriously (most of the time). As long as you have coffee and cocktails, all will be well, no matter where you are, as long as you are together.
Here’s to a great week, friends! Please think of me as I dig out from underneath all the emails that came to my inbox while I was gone.
With love,
Kate
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