vacation

Poet and civil rights leader Maya Angelou once said, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

You’re having a great trip and then, boom, you fall off your bicycle and break your leg. Just ask Secretary of State John Kerry, who did just that in France recently and had to cancel the rest of his European diplomatic trip.

I’m always surprised when I hear friends or colleagues say that their families rarely get together for reunions. That’s because between me and my husband, there are at least a couple to choose from every year. So we usually pick one and set aside some vacation time for it.

News, discoveries and ... fun

When I decided to quit my job and make my first cross-country trip, I could picture it perfectly: a mix of taking in beautiful mountain and water scenery, visiting monuments and museums, consuming unhealthy and fresh food alike, hiking through our national parks and walking through new cities. Transportation would be in my four-door sedan and accommodations in rented homes and motels. And right there, riding shotgun beside me, would be Reuban, my chocolate lab.

I love road trips. I've been crazy about them ever since the days when my parents loaded my two sisters and me into the Pontiac station wagon and went off to visit relatives or take a family vacation. On Sundays we would go for long family drives, and I always secretly wished my dad would aim the car toward the unknown and we'd be off on an unexpected adventure. Flying will never hold the anticipation and joy the highway does for me - but that doesn't mean the long and winding road can't be even sweeter.

I have 10 cruises under my belt - enough so that I've developed a protocol that helps me start enjoying myself as soon as I'm on board. Here's what I do.

Sometimes we want to indulge on a special vacation. We read "Zen-like ambience." How peaceful. "Oasis." Ah, yes. "Holistic therapy for body, mind and spirit." How rejuvenating. But how do those eat-your-heart-out amenities really stack up?

Packing up the car for a beach or lake vacation? Keep food safe by making sure  your cooler stays cold enough during the drive.

A colleague recently cautioned me about using the term "respite" because she thought people wouldn't know its meaning. I found this ironic, because I actually believe it's more likely that most of us don't know how it feels rather than what it means in terms of getting a break from caring for family and friends. We rarely get to experience time completely away from the responsibility and stress of caregiving.