can I just say— + vacations are exhilarating + vacations are exhausting + you never know which kid is going to be the type to take all of the shampoos and soaps from each hotel + someone is always gonna forget their toothbrush and start surveying who’s mouth so the cleanest so they can borrow theirs + it’s always a good idea to locate the closest urgent care each time you check into a hotel + there will be a point during the trip when you question why you came on the trip (or why you didn’t make it a couples vacation) + feeding a big family is expensive— like a huge portion of the budget goes here so doing lose your mind when you get that bill for the first dinner + it’s a good idea to get outdoors as much as possible but not too close to the edge of a cliff + finding the closest Trader Joe’s will be something you should do + vacations bring out the hyperactivity in your hyper kid, the sullenness in your melancholy kid and the shrieking in your shrieking child— making peace with these realities as soon as possible is best + there may be a point at which you’re begging your kids to “put on a nature show or something” when you’re feeling at your whit’s end + remember that you are making memories and that’s what counts!!! .