Vacations, Staycations and Travel

Not all vacations involve travel. Not all travel involves vacations. I guess it's a matter of perspective in who is defining those words.

When I was three, Mom took my baby brother and me on our first airplane trip. Of course, I have no memory of that journey, but Mom sure does. Dad had to join us later, because he only had one week paid vacation at that time. The rest of us flew back to Missouri to visit her family, then later flew to Minnesota to see Dad's family and meet up with him.

From my parents' point of view, the entire trip was to visit family and show off the kids. For me, it meant having different places to play. I got tired of that about the third week out, and decided to walk home. Unfortunately, home was in Los Angeles, and we were staying at the family farm in Minnesota. I was found by anxious family members sitting in the swampy area off the road, crying and surrounded by mosquitoes. Time for everyone to go home!

Throughout my childhood, vacation meant anytime we were out of school, summer, Christmas or Easter breaks. Now it's summer, winter and spring breaks. Sign of the times for our culturally diverse, politically correct society. We mostly were home during Christmas and Easter vacations, although there were a few memorable camping trips during Easter break. It turned out that Death Valley is quite pleasant in early spring. Who knew?

We spent alternate summers staying close to home (many beach camping trips and local museams, amusement parks, etc.) one year and travelling to the Midwest by various routes the next. My parents had the idea that the actual travel should be part of the vacation for their growing family, so we saw much of the country West of the Mississippi River as we traveled between California, Missouri and Minnesota to visit our family. Those school and family reunions were the only time we got to see our cousins, something we didn't appreciate til much later.

In college, my travel became focused on academic activity rather than family trips. I went on choir tours to Europe and the Western U.S. My senior year I spent a semester on World Campus Afloat, going from LA around South America, across to West Africa, into the Mediterranean basin, and flying home from Florida. I attended class while we were at sea, then my time was my own when we were at port. I still view that time as the greatest educational experience of my life.

As an adult, I have traveled for both business and pleasure. I have gone solo, with family, friends and tour groups. I have enjoyed vacations at home or on day trips to a variety of places. I tend to view vacations as time off work, in which case I am now on permanent vacation since my retirement earlier this year. Vacation is, after all, a matter of perspective.