O
TRAVEL
Your trips and travel traditions
aren’t just creating great
memories— they’re strengthening
family bonds.
BY KENMcALPINE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
©SUPERSTOCK;RETROFILE;DENNISHALLINAN;GEORGEMARKS/GETTY IMAGES(4)
SUMMER 2011
celebratedliving.com
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Our familyvacationsarenotyour familyvacations,which isgood,
because forone thing, thecarwouldbeuncomfortablycrowded.
But therearecertainsharedexperiences, timelessanduniversal,
thatmighthaveyourecognizingour familyvacationasyours.We
allhave fondmemoriesof familyvacations; conjure themand they
embraceus likeold friends.Stop foramoment, closeyoureyes,
and letyourselfdrift.
I remembera joyousblurof summervacations, sun-splashed
daysspentscouring thebeach, buckets inhand, pluckinguphun-
dredsofpiecesof fracturedshellsso thatour twoyoungsons
mighteventuallyreassembleahorseshoecrab;nightsspentriding
merry-go-roundsandstandingon thebackporchofourcottage
listening forsquirrels in the trees, thesoundand thesmellof the
seaeverpresent in thebackground. I rememberholdinghands
smalland large. I remember laughterandcarefreestars.
This is importantstuff, essential to familywell-being.Though
weprobablydon’tneed tobe told, scienceverifies this.There’s
plentyof research (70-plusyearsof it)on the importanceof family
Ode to theFamilyVacation
