As a child of divorced parents, family vacations died for my family a long time ago. My mom, bless her sweet soul, wants to give my brother and I experiences in new places. But the thing about my family is that we are extremely close, almost weirdly close. My mom and dad live 5 minutes away from us, while my grandparents live 5 minutes in the other direction so like I said, very close. We see each other constantly, so often that a week in Mexico with each other made us crazy.
1. Don't do everything together
This sounds bad, but when you are sharing a room with your mom and brother for a week and your grandparents are in the room above yours, you will discover the overwhelming need to be on your own. Trust me.
2. Family vacations don't go as planned, sometimes
While vacations are good for getting away but the people accompanying you on a trip can make or break your experience.
3. Grandparents
I love my grandparents, but if your family is as close as mine, I see them at least four times a week when I am home. They live five minutes from me. I see them always. So if you're like me, being with a group of people you see constantly at home can be overwhelming in a vacation setting.
4. Pack lightlyÂ
I got stuck sharing a suitcase with my over thinker 17-year-old brother. Plus, if you're going on a warm vacation you really don't need that much anyway. Bikini all day and the same dinner outfit every night. Easy.
5. Bring a distraction
For me, this was a book. I usually never have time to read at home so I brought one with me because I knew I would have down time at some point. Little did I know that my John Green book and headphones would become my best friends.
All in all, exploring a new country and creating memories with my family was fun. My family is just too close to be spending week-long vacations in foreign countries together without losing your mind a little bit!!
