More than Memories
I am a firm believer in….
And this…
And this…
The greatest thing about memories is that they don’t cost a thing. You don’t need to spend a penny to make a great memory. Take a moment to think back on some of your best… it’s who you were with that made that memory.
Hopefully I made my point, because now I want to do a 180.?. A 360.?. I may not be sure of the direction, lol, but I am sure of the destination. The point that I want to share is my opinion of why sometimes it is about more than memories.
I just returned from a weeklong family vacation full of, you guessed it… memories. Funny, fantastic, family-bonding memories that have the potential to be life-longers. And just like the quote above, those memories were made because of who we were with (my hubby, son, and I) and we just have fun together when we are just that, together. We didn’t need to fly across the United States to make these wonderful memories. But like I said, it’s about more than memories.
We spent the past week in Southern California for one main reason, to experience something different. (Okay, maybe two, the weather. The monotony of a New York winter can really start to eat at you.) Palm Springs, in particular, was a place that was new territory to us all. And what a scene it was. The mountains, the desert, the people, the culture, the architecture, the food… it was all a welcomed change and my seven-year-old son fell in love. I wouldn’t be surprised if in ten years, we are making a trip back to that area to check out colleges. For whatever reason, this part of CA really made an impression on him.
Besides Palm Springs, we drove out to San Diego for a few days. John had been there many times before, but it was another first for my son and I. We, of course, went to the San Diego Zoo and for the first time we saw panda and koala bears, which was super cool. My son, who is obsessed with snakes, saw more than he could count and found heaven in the reptile house. On our last day, we stopped in La Jolla and saw an orca swimming (somewhat) close to the coast. It was awesome!
So while I will cherish the memories that we made together as a family, I will also cherish the experiences that we each encountered on this trip as well. As an adult, it is important to for me to experiences as much of this world and of this life as I can. Perhaps it is selfish of me, but I do think about myself when planning a vacation. I prefer to go to places that I have not yet been. However in doing so, I am also thinking about my son and hope that I am opening the door of curiosity for him. I want him to have as many new and different experiences as possible. I want this for him…
To gain different perspectives…
To be humbled and to appreciate…
And to be swept away…
I want all of this too for myself, so that when my son leaves me to explore the world on his own, I won’t feel empty. Instead I will be excited and happy for him… and hope that he has an extra room, wherever he may be. 😉
