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Published: April 23rd 2006
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The Patriots
My sister and I model a few items we picked-up on a family trip to Williamsburg, VA. What a miserable little SOB I was! I couldn't even bother to zip up. Christmas in Germany 2005
Preface Growing up as a kid in the ‘60’s I always hated Sundays. Pennsylvania strictly enforced the old Blue Laws which meant everything was closed on Sundays. The few stores that dared to open were heavily fined by the State and quickly ceased that practice. Before cable came on the scene, we had our choice of three channels on the TV. On Sunday there was nothing to watch except the news commentary shows or tele-Evangelists. Worst of all, Sunday really stunk because I was never allowed to sleep-in like I could on Saturdays. We had to be up for Sunday school at 9:00 followed by church. Once that ordeal ended, it was time to go out for Sunday lunch with the family. Back in the ‘60’s chain restaurants hadn’t come into being and all the eateries we frequented prided themselves on a leisurely dining experience. By the time lunch was eaten and the bill paid, it was close to 2:00. Then, worst of all, my parents would decide it was “time for a ride”. When I was really young my younger sister and I could occasionally curtail the dreaded ride by getting George and Martha
Even though I hated travel as a kid, I was a big history buff. I was particularly interested in the American Revolution. I actually started to think I was George Washington. carsick. It seemed we used to alternate puking all over the back of the car which promptly brought an end to these unwanted excursions. As we got older however, my parents seemed to catch on while our constitutions grew stronger. My father used to lug us all over Eastern PA and NJ checking-out historic sites, artsy-fartsy small towns, antique stores, factories, relatives’ homes, ruins and state parks. I hated it!!! I could never get comfortable in the car. By the time we made our way home, my weekend away from school was virtually over. It was time to start on my homework. Not only did I dread Sundays, but the whole concept of travel made me sick. I just wanted to stay home and play with the neighborhood kids.
Something weird happened to me when I got to college. Maybe I grew up, maybe I just wanted to see some of the places I had read about as an English/History major, or maybe my Danish Viking chromosomes matured and the Wanderlust took over. After graduation I spent the next 15 years in the airline business in one way or another. My wife, Gail, and I worked together in the
Typical Sunday
Here we are getting ready for one of those long Sundays in Sunday School, church, then lunch, followed by a looooong ride in the car. Yeccch! industry and spent almost every long weekend and vacation traveling through the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe. When we finally decided to raise a family we gave up our unstable positions in travel and opted for job security. Gone were the free air travel, discounted car rentals, complimentary hotel rooms and familiarization tours. I really doubted that we’d ever do much travel again. I figured our kids would want to do kid things and I wasn’t about to force them to gallivant around the World. I didn’t want them to go through the hell I endured as a kid. I really didn’t see any way we’d be able to own a home, cars, pets, etc. and still be able to fly across the Atlantic for vacations. I was content to do some camping and Days Inn-ing within the U.S. instead.
Thank God my young kids were totally unlike me. Cassie and Tyler loved riding in the car. They read, played video games, argued and mostly slept no matter how long the duration of the ride. At times they even suggested places to go and see. Each year saw us go on progressively further trips. When we discovered the city of Quebec in Canada, the kids were entranced. They loved the food and seemed fascinated by the culture and language. My son seemed to turn into a history professor overnight while my little 6 year old daughter became a fashion maven. Gail and I realized we had two great traveling companions. Once we took the big plunge and took the family for our first trip together to Europe in 1998, our whole outlook on life changed. No more new furniture, repainting the rooms, remodeling the kitchen or replacing the rugs. Our money went into the Vacation Fund.
Over the past 6 years we’ve tried to take an extended European vacation each summer. Gail is a school teacher and leads student groups on educational tours each summer. She generously allows our kids and me to tag along. Traveling with 20-40 high school kids on buses through Europe and Mexico isn’t my favorite type of vacation, but it’s economical and well-organized. It gives me the chance to scope out places I’ve never been before. The ones I really like, we try to get back to on our own as a family. So far, Germany remains everybody’s favorite hands-down.
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