When I was a kid, our family vacations consisted of driving from Missouri to Texas. El Paso, Texas. You might as well call it Hell Paso, because we always went during the summer. We drove for 18 hours, straight through. But we were young, and it wasn’t as much torture for us as it probably was for my parents.
We had an old Ford Econoline van. Dad would remove the 2 of the 3 back bench seats and slide in a wooden platform that he custom-built for the van. Underneath would go our luggage and on top, a mattress. When someone was tired, it was easy to crawl in the back and take a nap. We played back there a lot, too. It was roomy, and less confining than sitting up straight in a seat.
When we got to El Paso, we’d drive straight to my grandparents’ house. I’d press my nose to the glass, watching for that first glimpse of the genie mailbox and gold Lincoln Town Car sitting out front. Yes, my grandfather had a gold Town Car. And a mailbox shaped like a genie. The thought of them still makes me smile. I can’t say the same for the neighbors—I doubt they liked it as much as I did.
My grandfather was a jovial man. He had a big, booming laugh that could take over a room. My grandmother was a bit more serious. Neither of them had the same sense of humor as my father, though. It made for some interesting times when they just didn’t get his jokes. My dad always kids us. Everyone, really. But they took him a little too seriously.
As we got older, we took a few other vacations that didn’t involve going to see family. But for many years, my parents forewent a “real” vacation so our grandparents could see us. And that’s what my husband and I have done for the last several years. Instead of going sightseeing or someplace exotic, we go to see my parents. And with Wee One coming soon, that time with family will become even more precious. So our future vacations are planned for us. We’ll go home to see my mom & dad, so our son will get to spend time with his grandparents.
And yes, it will be a road trip, just like those when I was a kid. But we won’t be using a Ford Econoline van. Man, those were the days.
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