Growing up, my family spent two weeks every summer on Cape Cod, MA. The cottage was simple; tiny bedrooms, one bath, no AC, no TV and no phone. Recounting the memory to my children, I watched as their faces reacted in horror; our adorable little cottage sounded more like Cell Block 9 than paradise, but in their defense, they are growing up in an age when technology is no longer the exception, but the norm.
This year we started vacation planning with simplicity in mind; attempting to reconnect as a family and unplug from civilization for a week or two. Surfing the online websites, we looked for little out of the way places with few luxuries, limited electronics and a true sense of tranquility.
Yeah – that went over like a burp in church.
About halfway through the search the grumbles began.
“No cable? How’s Dad going to watch the Yankees – he’ll get grumpy.”
“It says the cell service is bad here – how am I gonna get texts?”
“Mom! No AC – what are we, cavemen!”
I gave up and let the cherubs plug in a few search criteria. Check these out; Oceanfront, Nintendo, Elevator (Really?), Boat Taxi (who are we, the Trumps?), private heated pool. The reality check hit with a click of the SEARCH key; quickly realizing they had a choice: College or vacation.
Compromise was eventually reached; there will be beach, AC and small blocks of approved electronic time available only when Mom is sleeping late, sipping a Cosmo on the back deck with a smutty book or having a nice long conversation with Dad WITHOUT stopping to settle an argument, make someone a sandwich, or judge who can make louder armpit music.
Ah…vacation!
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