Ready, Set, Go!

Aaahhhh, the family vacation… a refuge from the daily grind, a bonding and loving experience, a time to kick back and take in the sights, scenery and food that someone serves YOU.  I bet if you ask each member in a family what vacation means to them you would get very different responses.  And, from experience, I can guarantee you a mom’s version is going to start way before you actually leave the house.

For me, the preparation for a family trip commences at least two weeks prior to departure.  If I start with the explanation that I prefer to come home from a holiday escape to a clean, organized home I have realized that I must leave it that way.  Shaping up a well-loved, lived in house is no easy feat in normal circumstances.  Add the fact that you are trying to empty the refrigerator down to the basics (and still have enough to feed the family on a regular basis – mine insists on getting fed daily), keep up with the laundry (without wearing the favorites, for each family member, that must be set aside, packed and taken), make arrangements for the furry and fishy (no, not Aunt Millie) family members that will be staying behind, cancel the newspapers (you could call ten times and still end up with at least one misdelivered paper), water the plants (on a schedule that will allow them not to be watered for the duration of the trip), fill out the form to stop the mail (and then remember to pick it up when the trip is over), vacuum and dust (making the house look like a model home that as soon as someone breathes or a family pet appears destroys the façade), call a neighbor and let them in on the “plan” (I wish one could interview potential neighbors prior to moving into a home to see if they meet the proper criteria that you have set forth for a good neighbor), clean toilets, open shades, close shades and flush toilets one last time.  Accomplishing all of these deeds requires precision and skill.  Some events must happen after others so, timing is of the utmost importance.

Then, comes the packing.  My cherished chickadee insists on carry-ons for one and all in our family unit.  I must admit those little rollie-pollie, pull-behind-you luggage pieces are a great invention.  However, I have never really learned how to successfully pack them.  The process of eliminating those items that can’t be squeezed in is painful.  Shoes that don’t make the cut have been known to be in therapy for months.  And the biggest dilemma is not to have options on what to wear when one gets to one’s destination.  How will I know if what I bring will be what I want to wear on a given day? Choices made need careful consideration and even if done well will still put a serious cramp in the mood of the vacation (never mind if the intent was a romantic interlude sans children) and the overall well being and redemption of those near and dear to you.

Packing up of kids and husbands (I, of course, mean their luggage) is far less strenuous yet still needs a bit of foresight.  Snacks, books, toys, etc.  must be remembered, for both, so as to occupy their minds and hands for the journey ahead.  Inclusion of clothing and toiletries is secondary for a successful packing of their bags.  The adage of less is more should be kept in mind, especially when you get to the destination and the questions of what they should wear begin.  Early training of spousal units and children to carry their own goodies eliminates some interruption to the mom and is part of the big picture of resting, recuperating and relaxation (that is why we do vacations, isn’t it?).

Finally the day of departure has arrived.  Other than being mentally exhausted if you have accomplished all that was on your list (and you already know you have missed at least one thing – but can’t remember which one) you are as ready as you ever will be to get on with the promised repose of family harmony, scenic overlooks and meals that someone else has prepared.  Enjoy this time and know, at least, when you get home the house will be clean and the washing machine ready and waiting.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.                   

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-