We experimented this
year and did something we have never done before . A long weekend get away on a
massive budget .
Usually for us
vacation is the opposite - we save money for it and spend it there . We have
drinks when we want and food and treat ourselves .
This year because we
are going to Bali with Bear in June we didn't plan
for a family
vacation or a weekend away as a family ( we usually do a
family vacation
week every two years and a skiing or long weekend
away as a family
every alternate year )
So we booked Miami
south beach for the Easter long weekend And tries to make it as cheap as
possible by :
- driving to platsburg USA for the flight
- - taking a flight at 3am there and 2am back ( aka
losing 2 nights of sleep )
- Being on a plane with no reclining seats
- not having any luggage with us and only a small
knapsack on our back each
- - having a room of two queen beds for 4 people and
bringing a camping mat and sleeping bag for the 5th . And concealing the
fact that we are even 5 in a room
- - not having drinks during whole vacation except one
Diet Coke on beach and one piña colada Virgin for beauty
- No snacks except bought from grocery store
- Cheap shared meals except one nicer supper
- No souvenirs
- Walking everywhere vs taxi
- Uber on way back to airport
- Breakfast in room bought at Walgreens
- - 4 beach chairs instead of 5
- Way way more I can't think of !
It's fun to do
cheapskate ! When beauty got her piña colada and hubby got his Coke on the
beach they looked as if they won the lottery !
Lucky for us there is
a couch in the room that is big enough for one kid to sleep on alternating each
for a turn so we don't even have to use the camping mat :) still have to hide
one toothbrush from the cleaning ladies though
One thing I can say
above everything else is that when you have older teens abs young adults it
really feels like a big treat to get to have them for four full days . It's an
amazing luxury . And often people with same age kids ask me don't they get
annoyed with the family time after a few hours - but not at all . We have
always been a family I think because of the cottage where a lot of togetherness
is enjoyed and very much expected . Lots of fights and irritations but among it
all loads of fun and laughs and time together
And the kids seems to
be loving every minute of their time here . They all study and work so hard .
Like really really hard and it's fun to watch each of them unwind in their own
way. Chase works a lot on his computer for planning his events and schoolwork
on the plane , on the beach .. everywhere . But he looks like he is having fun
doing it . Amazing to see bear just relax ( this is a very rare occurance as
either studies or works out or at boxing )
And beauty schedule
is just so full of dance and competition and studying that just nice to see her
be a teen for a bit
It's not all roses
either people ! Bear and I had it out at midnight , they are messy , they
scream at us when we eat Krispy cremes and they are highly irritating to me as
put me in a small room with 4 other people ( three of them under 25 ) and this
brings out the worst in me ( and the best of me ) in many ways . It's hard to
do for me and brings out the nagging in me a lot and the
control freak but after a couple of days I calm down ( and then it's time to
come home )
But man do I love his
bunch and our times together
We all love miami
south beach . For us it is the perfect balance between big city and great beach
. The kids love all the fast and fancy cars and the night life that when they
are 21 they want to be part of . Every second person you see truly looks like a
movie star . It’s very cool for a long weekend away
One of the Cool
things we got to do while we were here was to see hubbys beautiful niece who
lives in Naples . One of her daughters is his go
D daughter and was so
cute to watch them bond . Her hubby and other adorable daughter too all met us
for a great pizza dinner on Lincoln for the evening and was so fun to get
caught up with them all . Hubby ended the evening at Dilans candy store with
the three girls ( Daniela , Sofia and our baby girl ! )
Today we had trouble
deciding what to do with the day . I am not a great Person to plan it out as I
would be happy everyday with nice weather to lie on the beach and read . Chase
had his big interviews to prep for and so bear and beauty and hubby headed off
on bikes on the boardwalk and intercostal . I got my irritating and annoying
self out of their way and headed
to the beach alone
with a good novel and chase joined me later on .
They had a super bike
ride and stopped for some nachos on the pier . We all had a light lunch
together and a swim in the ocean all five and then did our own stuff in the
afternoon ( of course hubby and I slept half the afternoon on the beach which
feels so good )
Man have we lucked
out on weather this trip ( for once ! ) as hot sun everyday and evenings warm
and lovely without even wearing a sweater . Feels so good .
Tonight we are
heading for a loooong walk to the holocaust museum and then wanted to go to our
one fancier dinner at a super meditarian place that my brother and I had found
when we were here a couple of years ago . The museum which was a very sobering
and humbling experience for us all as we looked at the sad sculpture and read
the thousands of names of the people who died in the holocost . At one point it
all just so sad as did a group hug in the middle of the place . I love my
family and it's moments like this that bff savvy calls "thin moments
"
ChAnge of plans and
didn't go to the tapas place and found a seafood steak resto on
Lincoln road and had a great dinner . I love seeing the kids eat and love what
they eat ( lobster and steak at decent prices was nice too ! ) Really good
conversations about life and everything and was just really really nice
Stopped for Starbucks
coffee for bear and hubby ( I find it very endearing that bear likes a coffee
here and there and love that he and his dad share this passion ) and then some
frozen yogurt for the rest of us .
Walgreens again for a
few items and thankfully for our waistlines they were out of Krispy Kreme
donuts
My fave part of this
vacation is disconnecting . For a girl who loves her phone I am very
disciplined . Usually I or hide it away but this time family
needs it as the only phone that has a USA plan and loads of data because of my
work . So they all use it and I don’t ! Turned off all my notifications
and beeps and icons
and just relaxing my brain
I have so much going
on in my work and life all the time that I need to just think of nothing for a
bit . I also find that since we found out about beauty surgery I have felt more
distanced from my usual life which I am sure is not uncommon . Many days I feel
disconnected from my life and other people's lives too . It feels
so good here to be just us five . It’s something my heart has missed a lot
these days
We are trying to
figure out a way to possibly own a condo in Miami one day . Fun to dream !
This cheapskate trip
( which is turning out to be not so cheapskate as we are cheating a lot on the
food part !! )is really just good for us . Perfect timing and great
togetherness . There are many things I love in life , but having all five of us
together in a relaxed setting like this is really top of my list
Ended vacation
getting home this morning at 4:30am . Skipped our early morning
classes and work
and all got up around 10am so at least had a bit of sleep
 |
| Best Bali bed ever . will be in my dreamhouse one day! |
 |
| Not posed!!! |
Back to the grind !
Loved our Easter weekend
in Miami . Will celebrate next week a dinner at my moms for late Easter with
some chocolate egg hunts . I think in this
family as they get older and older Easter weekend might just be the perfect
time to escape the five of us . Excited to do another cheapskate vacation like
this again one day !
