Planning the Annual Summer Vacation

~ Don't skip your vacations and breaks. Spend your breaks meditating, praying or reading. Don't bring work or your laptop with you on vacation. ~
~ Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman


~ Every man who possibly can should force himself to a holiday of a full month in a year, whether he feels like taking it or not. ~ William James

We scrimp and save for all year, and although I know
there is always something else we can do with the money, we look forward to taking a family vacation every year. This year, we are counting down the days to Myrtle Beach. It is a vacation we can drive to, so it is a great economical choice for us. We all love to play in the ocean, and have equally love spending a few long lazy days on the beach.

Many families mistakenly believe that a vacation has to be an expensive adventure so they think that it is just not possible. It really does not matter whether you travel to a close amusement park, camp overnight at a state park, go to Disney, or drive to the beach, each can be considered a summer vacation. It just that matter that you change your scenery for a bit and have time away from what you usual schedule. It does not matter where you go, you are creating memories as family that will last a life-time.

When choosing to stay at Myrtle Beach, our family stays at a wonderful family hotel that includes rooms that have kitchens. Our first stop when we get there is to the grocery store so we can cook our own breakfasts and lunches to make our vacation affordable to us. For dinner, we opt out of the long lines and pricey menus of fancy restaurants, but instead order in Pizza or walk to the hamburger joint on the beach that is right next door.

Many families choose not to take a family vacation due to their busy schedules. Summer get-aways are a great excuse to take a break from their daily activities.

~ To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away
from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.
~Charles Horton Cooley

One of the greatest benefits of taking a summer vacation with your family is the amount of time that you will be able to spend together. In this day in age, many families are rarely able to spend time together. Distractions come in the form of long work hours, homework, and busy sports schedules. Our family always be sure that we don't sabotage our vacation by scheduling too many activities into it, because then it defeats our purpose in getting away in the first place, rest!


~ A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.
~Robert Orben

I love our car rides to our destination, my husband does the driving, so I have a big chunk of time to read and write (something that never happens at home!) I try to catch a few moments by myself on the balcony over-looking the ocean while the family is playing on the beach and I am making some lunch to bring down to them. I treasure those moments, they are moments full of inspiration and peace. But as every year, vacation comes to an end and it is time to go home. But, your bed never feels as good as it does after a few days away from it, and the house, never as homey. And as always, I think to myself, "It is so wonderful to get away, it is always nice to come home too."

~ A vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work.
~ Morris Fishbein