Vacations are an absolute necessity of life, in my humble opinion.
Getting "away from it all" since the March, 2020, arrival of COVID-19, is even more important for one's mental health, because of all the hunkering down that was necessary to handle the dreaded worldwide pandemic,
And, the absolute best ingredients for this away-from-home vacation happens when your entire event is shared with immediate family members. Yes, those individuals you are the closest to on Planet Earth. Or, you usually are close to?
This summer, the Breedlove Bunch had this opportunity to strengthen our family bonds with a get-together in remote Aripeka, FL, a sleepy rural fishing community of about 100 population. It is located about 45 driving minutes northwest from Tampa International Airport. All 4 adult couples flew into the Tampa facility from different parts of our great country, to enjoy several celebrations; Father's Day, the patriarch's (me) birthday, and the 40th wedding anniversary for my bride, Lady Deborah, and me. For the first time, I rented a VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) home, very spacious to accommodate all 9 folks (8 adults and our 11-year-old granddaughter, Maya). Everyone had separate bedrooms, and most had their own bathroom. The 6-acre property was only about a half mile from the open water Gulf of Mexico, and several of our group eagerly paddled the provided sea kayaks out into the nearby open ocean. There was also a large, typically Florida, birdcage-covered, outdoor swimming pool, and a massive wrap-around outdoor porch for this 100-year-old, 2-story, plantation-type home. Inside, there were 2 dining areas with numerous chairs, and 3 sofas to relax, while admiring the colorful outdoors. The home has many spacious glass windows and doors. Because of the many indoor and outdoor seating options available, our family had many opportunities to talk with one another, thoroughly discussing a plethora of topics during our 7-night stay.
Each couple had secured a rental vehicle from the airport, making everyday exploring extremely flexible. During each day, our destinations were varied; Disney's Epcot, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens. Tarpon Springs, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Pine Island public beach, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, deep-sea fishing in the Gulf, antique shopping, regular shopping, and, of course, sampling various area restaurants. On our third evening, two of our children arranged to have a professional chef and his assistant travel from the Tampa area to our vacation home. There, they prepared a delicious Mexican feast. Once the meal was completed, the chef/his assistant boxed up all the leftover food, placed it in our huge refrigerator, totally cleaned the kitchen and dining areas, and departed. Our home was left as if they had never been there. The entire 5 hours they were present was truly an incredible experience. This was my first "home" meal prepared by a professional chef in my lifetime, but it will not be my last.
Taking every event into consideration for the 7 days, the absolute winner was the family relationship interactions. Vacations are such stress-relivers when you are able to leave your every day pressures back home, and totally concentrate your attention to your family members. COVID-19 was certainly a major stress-producer for over a year, too.
I was so energized, I announced to our group, Ms. Debbie and I would try to provide this same calendar-week experience each year moving forward. We will choose a different geographic location each year, and a VRBO large enough to accommodate our entire family under one roof. I also said I would get a chef wherever we land, to prepare our family a great meal each year. In short, I am "all-in" in the future, the same time each summer for our family vacation..
Simply stated, family vacations and the human interactions they create, are the absolute BEST!!! Yes, folks, priceless.
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