It’s spring break, which can mean a lot of things: Cancun, sunscreen, sunburn, mimosas, home, rest, favorite meals, flights, reading…
For me, it was interesting cocktail of a fun destination, road trip and family.
Florida was our destination. It’s only a mere 20 hours (!) from Madison — and 20 hours back. Now, that’s a lot of time when you’re sitting in a car with four people who share the same last name as you. But, we still managed to show love: we were laughing, and we were being defensive when a joke targeted ourselves. Here is a brief rundown of all the people in the car. Whether or not any of them will survive the 40 hours is debatable.
- Amelia*: Reader. Relatively positive. Will believe your brother over you (he’s younger and therefore the default favorite; she’s a mom, can’t really blame her).
- Dave: Big dad joke guy… because he’s a dad. Marathon driver.
- Jack: Slightly angsty teenager. Sings in the car. Drives because he’s “a man.”
- Me: Worn down college student. Prefers to fly. Still smiley.
*Names have been altered to protect their identities. And to give me a “How do you know that’s you??” back door.
Tensions arise in everyday life, even in awesome families (like my own lovely troop). But, this tension amplifies when you’re confined in close quarters with each other’s company over an extended period of time. Google Maps’ constant chorus definitely doesn’t help: “there has been an accident; it will add 758,493,750 minutes to your arrival time.” But, honestly, it wasn’t bad — like, at all. Jack was maybe on edge by the time the Subaru cruised back into Madison; Dave and Amelia may have been wishing that the backseat of the passenger side —my spot— had an eject button; I was perching on a sunburned butt, and my legs were numb. Still, life was good — seriously. Spending time with family is fulfilling, even if it’s spent simply in each others’ presence. Surrounding yourself with those you love is vital to realizing self-love; but for most college students like myself, we unfortunately don’t see our love ones all that often.
Although I would’ve rather spent those 40 hours we were driving on the beach, I’ll admit that the drive offered its own rewards. Uninterrupted time with the entire family is rare, and it shouldn’t be downplayed. So often do you spend your time together over a distraction — a movie, a game, or even a meal. On the other hand, simple things such as conversing, singing to the radio and simply enjoying each others’ presence are long overdue. The point is, be present with the ones you love. Next time you are planning a trip, don’t look strictly at airlines.