Vacations are great. Who doesn’t look forward to a break from the daily grind and the chance to relax somewhere new? While we certainly hope for exciting getaways, sometimes vacations aren’t as great as we expect them to be. Perhaps your parents make you go on a family outing when you’d rather spend time with your friends, or maybe your camping expedition turns into a wilderness survival disaster. Issues such as these add tension to what should be a stress-free experience, but it’s important to keep things in perspective and cope gracefully with less-than-ideal vacation scenarios.
Recently, I went on a cruise with my family. My parents had booked it months ago, and the dates didn’t really work with my schedule. But I couldn’t say no – how can you turn down a tropical vacation from the people paying for your tuition? I was relieved to learn the four of us wouldn’t be sharing one tiny cabin like we had to the last time; my dad got a separate stateroom for me and my sister so we could bicker out of earshot. But a tiny room just doesn’t cut it for two college girls who disagree about everything, and soon we were both sick of each other and needed to get out of there.
Problem was, the weather was horrible. And when you’re on a cruise ship, there’s nothing to do but stay inside when it rains – no swimming, no sunbathing, no playing shuffleboard, no jogging around the track or climbing the rock wall. Basically, all the “fun” things were off-limits. The adults didn’t mind as much since there were several indoor bars where they could waste away the rainy days, but I was still just shy of the U.S. drinking age, which was (unfortunately) strictly enforced.
I got an awful sunburn at the first island we stopped at, since it was so cold and drizzly that I’d neglected to apply sunscreen. The next morning we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, to see the colorful port city covered in the world’s gloomiest fog. No sooner had my family disembarked to begin a snorkeling expedition than the skies opened up. A chaotic mess of upset tourists, dressed for the beach and shielding themselves from the rain with towels, all ran back onto the ship to cancel or reschedule their excursions. It poured all day, and we never did get to go snorkeling; instead, we took a taxi tour of the island with the meanest driver ever, who rudely kept reminding us to give him lots of money.
The final day of the trip was a rough day at sea, to say the least. Our captain had forecasted “partly cloudy skies” and “smooth sailing,” neither of which was true. Rain pelted the windows as the ship rocked back and forth. People lost their balance and probably their lunches, too. Outdoor activities were cancelled, and the pool deck was a soaking-wet ghost town. Every indoor event was packed to capacity since there was nothing else to do. The huge ship began to feel small, and the overall morale of the passengers fell.
Despite the bad weather and lack of activities, I had fun. Spending time with family is therapeutic, no matter how much you get on each others’ nerves. And if you’re bored or disappointed, just remember: it beats sitting at home. It’s an adventure, and not every adventure is glamorous. Vacations let you step back from your everyday routine and experience the wonders of life, so don’t let bumps along the road hold you back from enjoying the journey.
Lauren Mendelsohn is a senior psychology major. She can be reached at mendelsohn@umdbk.com.
