Vacation Time!

It’s that time of year when many people are taking a summer vacation; a week at the cottage (uh, “camp,” here in the north); a cross-country drive to a tourist destination or to visit relatives and friends; a trip to Europe or some other far-flung destination.

It’s been a while since I have been able to take a “real” vacation.

In the summer of 2000 I accepted the offer of a ride from a friend who driving through the Sault on her way to take her kids to visit relatives in Southern Ontario. I stayed with friends for a week, then we met up for the return trip.

In 2007 I went to Hamilton for a month to take a Driving Instructor’s course. I took a couple of weekend “day-cations” around the region, and spent one weekend with friends.

But, really, that’s been about it for vacations in the past ten years.

Before that, I did go to Florida for a week, and then spend a week on a Caribbean cruise in ’95. (That was my honeymoon trip, and one of the best vacations I have ever had. Okay, hurricane season isn’t the best time to be in Florida, but the cruise was spectacular!)

In the late 80s and early 90s I did manage a few short vacations, mostly visiting friends in different areas of the province.

In 1977 my family went on a trip to the West Coast… in a motorhome!

Now, I shouldn’t judge RVing by that one trip, but picture being 16 years old, and crammed into a rented motorhome for three weeks with your parents and grand-parents, driving ten or eleven hours per day.

My father wanted to get to BC as quickly as possible, so that we could have as much time as possible there. That meant starting off right after an early breakfast, pulling into a roadside picnic area for lunch, and finally pulling into a campground around 8 or 9 each evening.

And, only once did we spend more than one night in the same campground.

As if 11 hours in a motorhome weren’t bad enough, after a late supper my parents and grandparents would play Euchre. (For those who don’t know, it’s a 4-handed card game.)

I read a lot of books on that trip!

It wasn’t all bad. The scenery was spectacular! The mountains are awesome! Vancouver Island was great! And, I saw a lot of country that I think every Canadian should see at least once.

All in all, it was a good vacation.

If I ever get to do a similar trip again, though, I would take an extra week (or two) and drive less each day, stopping more often, and spending a say or two in some of the more interesting spots.

Another vacation I would like to repeat was the trip to England that I took with the Bawating Band in 1978.

It was a great trip, but it was an escorted tour. Lots of time on the bus, following a fixed itinerary, and not so much time to look around.

And, we had been read the Riot Act about not being in pubs and bars if we were underage. So, I spent 10 days in Britain and never set foot in a pub!

Obviously, if I get to go back, I will have to remedy that.

It was a good trip, don’t get me wrong.

But I’d like to go back and travel at my own pace, choosing the sites I want to see, and deciding how much time to spend where.

And I want to make it up to Scotland, too.

Meanwhile, these are simply daydreams until I manage to land a full-time job. It’s hard to put anything away for a vacation working on-call as a Supply Teacher, and part-time as a Driving Instructor.

One thing I will be doing is spending a couple of weeks as Chaplain at Camp McDougall.

Although it is “work,” sort of, it is still a renewing and energizing experience to spend a week at Camp. (Anyone who has spent any time at a summer camp knows exactly what I mean.)

And really, doing something you love isn’t “work.”

Of course, there is also the old adage that says, “A change is as good as a rest.”

I may not be able to go on an actual vacation this summer, but the change in routine and the opportunity to take some time for myself – maybe finding a spot to cast a line, or to have a picnic lunch somewhere – can be just as relaxing and enjoyable.

But… that’s just my opinion.

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So, now it’s your turn.

Share one of your best vacation memories!