Family Vacations

I have wanted to write all week, but I think it has just been an intense week. Actually, I don't think that many people actually read my blog on a regular basis...oh, that's because I don't write on a regular basis. It just takes so much time and I feel like I'm limited in that part of my life right now. But in about 6 hours that will all be over! That's right! In six hours I will be checking into an airport and headed toward Florida. Then it is off on a fabulous cruise with my family to the western Caribbean. I'm sure I will have great traveling stories after being in the jungles of Belize, scuba diving in Honduras, swimming with sting rays in the Cayman Islands, and lounging on the beach on Casta Maya. Not to mention the funny stories I'm bound to have because I'm traveling with my family. I have even been practicing my Spanish. "Tengo tante hambre, que sueno con comida." (Which means, "I'm so hungry I am dreaming about food.")

The last time we took a family trip we went to Hawaii. My sister went to BYU Hawaii and we decided to attend her graduation. I think she was spoiled, because she went to school in Hawaii. The trip was a lot of fun, but it has been over five years since our family had taken a trip together. Of course we all wanted to do a thousand things and they were all different. Not to mention we had to see all my sisters friends. Despite all the fighting, there were some really great and memorable experiences. The very first morning we were there, on the North Shore my sister took us to a tiny shack for breakfast. I ate the best banana pancakes. We were surrounded by locals. I felt like I was getting a real Hawaii experience, not the tourist route. Of course my dad had to say something stupid. Sometimes I think he isn't really thinking. After all of us around and it was a crazy mess my dad said to the waitress, "Sorry we are acting so crazy, can you tell we are Americans?" The waitress kind of just said, "yay bro." I had to laugh as I told my dad, "hello, she is American too. We are still in the United States!"

I also really enjoyed sky diving for the first time in my life. I didn't make any plans for the whole trip, but the one thing I knew I was going to do while there was sky dive. My sister had been once before so she knew exactly where to take us. Somehow I convinced my brother that he needed to go too. And then my brother and I convinced my sister that she needed to go too. So the three of us loaded up in the plane. It was a beautiful sight to look over the island. I could have sky dived anywhere, but I think I picked one of the most beautiful places for my first time. Plus I got to do it with my siblings.

Vacations are a great thing. I can't wait to go. I can't believe this week is almost over. After sending out my references for graduate school, creating sub plans, sending out student interim reports, reading a book for class, and shortly I will finish my graduate paper, then the week will be over for me. I will be able to relax. And next year I'm not taking any graduate classes, it's going to be all fun from this point on! Woohoo!