What We Discovered During Our (Very Wet) Summer Getaway

home insemination Kit

Ah, summer vacations. They’re supposed to be all sunshine and fun, right? Well, our trip turned into a soggy saga instead. We gave soggy golf, tennis, and snorkeling a solid shot, but eventually, we hit a wall of boredom. Our villa looked like a laundromat explosion, with damp clothes hanging from every door knob. The highlight of our day? A cooler filled with frozen candy bars that Max stumbled upon at the deserted marina store.

In a desperate bid for family bonding, I dug out some old favorites—like Uno, The Game of Life, and our stash of family-friendly DVDs from the depths of our duffel bags. But when I suggested “School of Rock,” Max rolled his eyes. “Really, Mom?” And when I pitched “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” my teens’ silence spoke volumes. I guess our movie choices were a bit out of touch. The sound of tapping on phones and tablets quickly resumed.

Like an overenthusiastic camp counselor, I rummaged for vacation games from their childhood, but my attempts at a round of Bananagrams fell flat. No one was in the mood for Tic-Tac-Toe or Hangman. Morale was plummeting, and I even offered a laundry lesson, suggesting they refine their skills for college. Spoiler alert: nobody was interested.

Even when the sun peeked through, the kids were bored stiff at the beach, wanting to return to the pool just 45 minutes in. The days of making friends by burying their dad in the sand were long gone. At 14 and 17, they were no longer easily bribed. There was even a moment when I considered orchestrating a playdate with a random 15-year-old I met in the elevator.

Typical rainy day distractions were nowhere to be found—no arcades, malls, or shops. And without a car, we were stuck on our own personal island of boredom. I felt like I was sending out an SOS to anyone who would listen.

Just as things hit a low point, we learned that the grocery stores would close for two days due to Cup Match, Bermuda’s raucous cricket festival. Suddenly, Grant and Max were fighting over the last frosted strawberry Pop-Tart. The tension in the villa was palpable; everyone was snappy and forming alliances like they were on a reality show. To top it all off, I lost my go-to anti-frizz hair gel, resulting in a full-blown ’80s hair disaster. There was even talk of changing our flights to escape back home early, despite the sweltering heat that awaited us in the Northeast.

Yet, amidst the chaos, there were unexpected moments of joy. Max, our budding comedian, turned dinner into a performance with his spot-on impressions and quick wit. Grant, the quieter one, surprised us by harmonizing to some classic hits when his phone died. My husband and I managed to steal a “date” at the pool, sharing the last beer while sitting on soaked lounge chairs. During a particularly heavy downpour (3½ inches, to be exact), our family banded together to film a hilarious home movie of Mark’s not-so-stellar golf game, complete with creative captions and background music suggestions.

In the rare moments of dry weather, the boys caught waves, and Mark caught up on work emails. I managed to sneak away to the spa a few times. Surprisingly, our indoor confinement wasn’t as dreadful as I had anticipated. Not only did we survive our rain-soaked vacation, but we also emerged closer as a family, with new memories and funny selfies as our keepsakes. As I packed away the untouched Coppertone, I realized that maybe sunshine isn’t everything.

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Summary

Our family vacation turned out to be a rainy adventure filled with unexpected challenges and bonding moments. From soggy games to impromptu performances, we navigated through boredom and found joy in each other’s company. Even in the wettest of circumstances, we made memories that will last a lifetime.