The good and the bad of family vacations

Now, although this is at times a much needed break from the constant struggles and pressures of daily life, it can come with its own set of disadvantages. Here is a list of both the good and bad of going on family vacations.

Privacy? What’s that?

When travelling to an unknown land with people you will be forced to share a room and privacy is a word that temporarily ceases to exist.

Being on vacation means spending every second of every day with your family, which means you don’t have a second to yourself. You can’t step away for a second to talk to your friends and you can’t get two minutes of silence to read that book you’ve been waiting to.

Oh right. That’s why I couldn’t stand you

Most of the time, you have to share a room with your siblings and you’re reminded of why exactly you used to hate them when you were kids.

The tiny habits of all your family members that used to make your blood boil are back. Not only that, but they seemed to have picked up nine hundred different ones that seem even more unbearable than usual.

Hence, commences the shouting! Doesn’t matter how old you are. You’re never too old to be fighting with your siblings.

Sorry! I was on family vacation!

Sometimes most of us need to disappear, to go off the grid. And a family vacation is the best excuse for it.

You now have a very good reason to not reply to the number of unanswered messages that are sitting in your inbox, waiting to be read.

“Oh gosh really? I must have missed your call!” You say with your much higher than usual voice, “I’m so sorry! I was on family vacation you see.”

And voila!

Not only do you get to take a break from people, you get to take a break from technology all together! You have a chance to put your phone away and just momentarily forget the pile of work that’s waiting for you at home by being ignorant for a brief period of time.

You’re reminded of your roots

Each family has its own way of living. There’s usually always something that families start to bring into a part of their routines. For some, it’s having to make sure to have a meal together, for others it’s watching a movie every weekend, going out to eat once a week, and for some it’s playing board games.

But as we grow up, our priorities change and our precious family traditions are replaced with either having to study, friends, or TV shows. Something or the other gets in the way.

Family vacations remind us of that. When we’re stuck in a country where we know no one else, those traditions come back to life.

And the next thing you know, you’re playing monopoly just like you used to when you were little. These little things are what make a family. Being able to get away from the world filled with deception and hate, it’s always nice to reconnect and be reminded of your roots.

Family vacations are both a blessing and a curse in disguise that pop in to visit once in a while. But in the end, these are the people we love and miss the most. As we grow up, we all become busier and we can at times lose sight of what really matters in life. We can forget who we really are under the influences of the many people we interact with on a daily basis. And this can be a good reminder of what we are and who we love. It re-centers us. So enjoy it!

Syeda Erum Noor is dangerously oblivious and has no sense of time. Send help at erum.noor1998@gmail.com