Family Vacation
By Sarah, age 18, Pennsylvania
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
It finally came. The day I had been dreading for months. Spending a whole weekend with my family (extended too) at Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska. I mean, seriously, Pioneer Village?? What could possibly be there? But that day came very quickly. My mom and dad were packed two weeks in advance, my sister and her husband two days ahead. Me? Oh, about two hours before we left. I was really not looking forward to this trip.
Family vacations were fine when I was younger, but now as a teenager, they couldn't be a bigger drag. In fact, I would have rather crawled into a hole and died than go on this vacation. The three dreaded words I associate with vacation are "family road trip". As someone once said, "There is no such thing as fun for the whole family." So true, so true.
So how can you as a teenager make your family vacations more enjoyable? Simple. I'm going to go through a couple of ideas to make your vacation more enjoyable for everyone.
First, become a part of the planning. Don't sit back and watch your parents make a list of all the history museums you could visit if what you really want is to go to the beach. Try to get them to compromise by showing interest in where you are going. Working with them will also get them to respect your opinions.
Miss your friends on your vacations? Maybe talk your parents into getting you unlimited texting just for that month, or find an internet cafe or something nearby. Make sure that it's ok with your parents, and even if you have unlimited texting don't do it all the time. Respect your parents and actually try to spend some time with them. I know that in Nebraska I was on my phone 24/7, and I know how many times I got yelled at for it too.
You can always find a mall somewhere! I love shopping and I love getting new T-shirts from every state I've been in. I know that your parents are not going to want to spend the whole day in the mall, but I'm sure they would be ok with spending a little time shopping for souvenirs and gifts for other people.
Last but not least, take tons of pictures! It's your family and you can always use embarrassing photos of them that go with the whole vacation theme. Be creative! Taking pictures of the scenery and local people no matter where you go (even Nebraska) can be beautiful. Just have fun, and if all else fails, bring a book with you!
