We're All Going On A Summer Holiday

Going on holiday is a special event for people all over the world, and I would guess a large number of these holidaymakers will be travelling with family. Some of us make do with two weeks on a rainy beach in West Wales; some of us, however, are able to branch out to more exotic locations, like America or Thailand or Egypt for example. Some of us are extremely lucky, and are able to enjoy a getaway to the Caribbean. Fortunately, I am one of these lucky few, having recently come home from the magnificent Barbados, and I have been in mourning ever since.

A whole two weeks spent with your family? Thousands of miles away from home? Away from Wifi? As a teenager? What on Earth was I thinking, you must be asking yourselves!

But no! I had fun; we had fun as a family, visiting the gorgeous Bathsheba, or the ‘animal flower cave’ (which had the amazing views- as shown in the picture above- however, no animals and barely no flowers within the cave) or even the Wildlife Sanctuary, where there was a peacock who became my personal stalker, determined to scare me.

I enjoyed my time swimming with the turtles, and getting bombarded by (very) friendly fish on the West Coast; soaking in the picturesque views, right out of a Jill Walker painting. I am proof that holidaying with your family as a 16 year old does not have to consist of being dragged places or huffing constantly (though there were times when there was some truth to this stereotype, although not very often!)

Of course, everybody has their reservations when going away – I personally, hoped to not get burned (no such luck). Although, unlike many, my main reservation was not because I was holidaying with my family. Yes, I had to abandon the chance to go on a week-long trip with my friends, but I wasn’t personally too put out – I would be holidaying in the ever-present heat of the Caribbean island, rather than the mild temperature of Wales.

I enjoy my family’s company. The trip didn’t make us want to instantly run from each other in all directions. If anything, it made us enjoy each other’s company more, making us want to spend more time together like we did while we were away. It made me want to have the same feeling of laughing at the very bored tour guide in Harrison’s Cave, clearly only showing up for the paycheck, or being enthralled by cartoons with my brother, despite our 16 years of age.

Being away with your immediate family doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your time on your phone, or watching the television ( fortunately for us, the broadband speed was slower than slow). You can enjoy time together, and rid the world of teenage stereotyping, by talking to your family, or even debating. It doesn’t have to be anything too serious like ‘how to solve world hunger’: it could be discussing a book you’re reading, or the film you saw on the flight. If the conversation is boring you, I would recommend not turning to your phone, either try to ask them to explain what they mean if you’re confused, or subtly change the subject to something else.

If you have to spend every moment with these people, try not to look at the negatives. Focus on the positives of being on holiday with your family, and have fun. Remember – your parents did pay for the holiday!

Being a teenager means that everyone will expect you to use your phone constantly, scrolling through hours of social media. Of course, do so – but remember to try something new, get yourself into a book, or even talk to your siblings. Look silly; do stupid things – you’re on holiday. No one knows who you are!

More importantly – no one cares.