The New American Vacation

Is not very different than it was from the past. I am not yet the world traveler that I dreamt I would be. I had that whole Ernest Hemingwayesque worldview before I met LawyerBoy - lots of time in Paris and Italy. That whole thing, you know.

Instead, I am the mother of two American teenagers who have grandparents with a beachhouse. God bless them. For years, our vacations have consisted of beach trips, just as long as we could get there and back. Sweet.

Thanksgivings were covered, too. Nothing like celebrating the Pilgrims with a beach walk after turkey.

So, all this doom and gloom? Not so much here. Yes, the electric bill came and while I was mildly shocked, I had to remember that it is not as bad as it could be.

Now the things that bother the hell out of me while I travel: first, letting go and letting PrepGirl drive. I have a horrible time letting go of anything, so letting her drive is absolutely painful for me to do. But I let her drive all the way down I-16 to Savannah. Does she scare the hell out of me? Yes, yes she does. But only because I am not driving. And when I take over, she and BrownBear start doing what I do to Prep: "Too close, too fast, do youseethatcarinfrontofyou? Is that a policeman? Oh My Goodness!!!!!!!!!"

And people, when you are traveling and you let your son go into the ladies room at the Chick-Fil-A, make damned certain he needs to be in the ladies room. If he is 12 and not with his mother, I don't think he needs to be in there with his sister. And I especially don't think he needs to be in there if he is peeing all over the seats. Seats I will need to be using because PrepGirl has just scared the piss out of me. Thankyouverymuch.