Where's My Beach House?

Let me start off by reminding you that I'm pretty well traveled (44 states, 30 countries/territories) lest I let anyone forget.

 

That being said, the girls in my office have brought about a phenomenon to me that is a bit of a foreign concept... the family beach house.

 

I'm about to call up my dad and ask where the heck my all-expenses paid vacation is. He's slacking.

 

Now, I've heard of people doing this before. It's not a totally novel concept. But just about every girl in my office is spending a week at the beach this summer with extended family. Some split the cost, but some don't. My immediate thought is that I hope I can be in a financial situation to be able to do that with Bimmer and her kids someday, if she was interested.

 

My next thought is that I would probably shoot myself if I was forced to stay in a house for a week with a bunch of family members, Puff and Bimmer excluded, of course. I just foresee way too many problems. First off, no matter how big the house, you're still sharing space. And for people (like me) who aren't used to doing so, it would be uncomfortable from the get-go. Second, how do you decide what to do? You know that many people are never going to agree on tennis vs. golf, or bike riding vs. laying at the pool. Do people feel obligated then to do what everyone else is doing?

 

One of the big reasons I have been to so many places over the years was that my mom was pretty adamant about not going back to the same place twice. Or at least not without several years in between. We would go to Marco Island and then Hilton Head. Orlando. Palm Beach. Clearwater. Myrtle Beach. Panama City. Then maybe back to Marco Island again, since that was her favorite. Yes, it was still a week at the beach, which lots of people do, but it was always at a resort (we never stayed at a condo) and there were always daiquiris at the pool and a nice dinner out each evening. My hairdresser told me that she was going to Hilton Head with her extended family for a week in July and they COOK every night but one. Seriously? Cooking on vacation? That actually happens?

 

Yes, I realize I'm sounding like a total snob here. But I don't mean it to be that way. Everyone has their own travel agenda. But I will say that I do appreciate that my mom mixed it up for me growing up. I hope to do the same for Bimmer. Sitting at the same beach every summer may have its appeal to some, but not to me. With as much as there is out there in the world, why would I want to sit on Myrtle Beach for a week every year? Puff and I would much rather take several shorter vacations to different places.

 

Alas, having said all of this, I am actually sorta jealous. Not of the details or locations of anyone's summer trips (none thrill me) but of the fact that they're going on a trip. Puff and I haven't had a week-long excursion (minus visiting family, which doesn't count) since we were in Scandinavia for 14 days back in 2011. That was a LOOOOOONG time ago in our lives! Don't worry, I'm already scoping out a beach trip for sometime next year.

 

Thoughts or suggestions? We're currently batting around Siesta Key or Longboat Key? As long as there are daiquiris, I think I'll be content.