Take the Trip.

Vacation.

One of my favorite parts of life. Though I don’t look at them as something I may or may not get to do. To me? They are a not an option. They are a necessity.

Growing up I was so fortunate to have family live near one of the Great Lakes creating a natural opportunity to get away. My parents, brother and I lived in a rotation of time at the lake, a cabin in Gatlinburg, or my personal favorite, Walt Disney World Resort. Then there were the trips my grandparents took us on, including Outer Banks and St. Louis. I don’t bring these to to brag, but I mention it because it has shape who I am and my worldview. And don’t get it twisted, these weren’t 5 Star luxury resort stays. These perfect trips included long car rides, car sickness, truck stop diners, and every possible Kmart along the route {shout out to Grandpa} with us being crammed in a room with shared beds and picnics. Also known as, absolute perfection.

My son recently had to do a cultural project and one of the questions asked about family hobbies. He didn’t hesitate a second before stating, “trips, because my parents like to trick us into actually learning about the world.” Yep. You’ve figured us out. We don’t take trips to spoil our kids. We don’t go places because we have endless money to do so. We don’t take trips dependent on if our kids will remember it or not.

We take trips because of the way our kids {and us} remember feeling as they explore new places and taste new food. We take trips because of the experience of flying across the country seeing the landforms they otherwise only read about in books We take trips because it connects us as a family. Do we work twice as hard and save twice as much than we sometimes would like? Yep. But oh my lanta, is it always worth it.

So do me a favor; next time you start to hesitate and wonder if  you will be able to take the trip, please shift your mindset. Think about how you can’t afford to miss the experiences. The feelings. And the better understanding of the world around you. We can quickly become jaded when we are constantly surrounded by the same people, same foods, same sights. This world is an incredible place with incredible people. You deserve to see it.

Take the trip.