Ahhhh, vacation is over. And I am so glad that this year was not a replica of the stressful trip of last year.
You see, this year I actually packed just the right amount, if not under-packed (I forgot a sweatshirt, but who would have thought I would need one in August? Oh wait... it's WISCONSIN!!!) And because I actually went into the vacation having extra room in the suitcase, I didn't have the stress of feeling like I was trying to squeeze an elephant into spandex when it came time to pack for the return trip.
The cabin we rent comes with a boat and this year, the owner upgraded to a pontoon boat. Stress-free fishing (once we got the battery issue fixed!) and no fighting over who gets to go out on the lake at what time. We all went together!
And last, but not least, no stress on the last day! This is the most important part of this vacation tale because if you ask anyone in my family, they will tell you how tense it was last year.
Let me paint you a picture of the year prior. On this last day, we need to pack up everything we brought (without forgetting that illusive sock!), load the vehicles (it's like a ginomous jigsaw puzzle!), and clean the cabin (vaccuum, dishes, etc). To get an early start in the hopes of leaving before noon, we all set the alarm clock for 8 am. Everyone except for my brother. My brother has the mentality that he can be ready in half-hour so he'll sleep until 11, throw some clothes on and be in the car waiting for us. Is this fair to those of us washing the plate from his midnight snack or vaccuuming up the sand he brought in? NO!!! He is 22 and in my opinion, perfectly capable of helping. So... I woke him up and told him so! Not a good idea for someone that is not a morning person. Man, was he grumpy! He picked fights with me, he picked fights with my mom, he was even surly with his almost 1 year-old niece! Charley couldn't talk, she didn't deserve that attitude. The air was thick with tension and nobody spoke for the last 20 minutes of the vacation.
That was last year...
Like a skier does a flip, this year was a complete 180. Total opposite!
We all packed most of our stuff the night before, we all were awake at reasonable times, and my brother even did the dishes because he knew he had the least amount to pack. I'd say there must have been some maturing done over the last year.
I was even able to handle a week of living with my mom.
Like I said... Stress-free! Which is how a vacation should be!
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