Vacation..all I ever wanted?

This this the first family vacation that I have taken since I was maybe 15...and then I thought myself to be an ungrateful little bastard because I really didn't appreciate it then.

Twenty years later, I realize that I was right.

For my, vacations aren't about the destinations but about the people you are with. My idea of fun is sitting on a beach and reading while my family likes the idea of hunting for sand dollars and other such expected activities.

Nota Bene: I love my family. My family loves me. We, and it is a four against one thing here, just don't see eye to eye on almost EVERYTHING, which makes the forced frivolity of time away even more difficult...

So, let me get back to the point about 15 year old me. I missed home. The first three days are nice, but then I miss things like my bed and my shower. I miss my dog, my bike, and my friends. Notice that I shifted tenses there? Because the difference between 15 year old me and 36 year old me is not that different. We miss the same things, which makes it unsurprising when the family falls into the same archetypical roles that have defined all of us since childhood.

But, we have all changed.

When I was a kid, I didn't want to walk out to the lighthouse because I wanted to read, and now, when someone says that "it will be an adventure for TEA" my response is that "And it can be your adventure with him." TEA and I have adventures once a week, exploring the city that we call home (and that we both love) going into shops and restaurants we have never been to and discovering new things for us. Just because we are three blocks from home doesn't mean that there isn't something novel to discover.

I do appreciate the family and the family vacation, and TEA is really happy (especially since he has recovered from his stomach bug) and I wouldn't trade some of the memories for the world...I am just looking forward to taking the train home on Thursday...to my dog, my friends, my house...back to my life...

Because as much as I complain about it, I really like my life and what I have made of it.

I guess I needed a vacation to appreciate it.