All,
It's been on my mind constantly.
I might as well write about it.
For the first time since I've started my business 6 years ago, I'm allowing myself the time to go on vacation. A real vacation.
And this one is extra special.
Deb and I are taking our children and their spouses to the big island, Hawaii. I can't wait. In fact, I was convinced we were leaving a full day earlier than we really are. But for the rest of the month, we will be gone. Not back until after Easter.
To my clients, don't worry. You will be in good hands with Tara, Emilee, Dave, Jeff, Zach and Thomas. But, you already know that. To the reporters, you should be relieved. I won't be hounding you for coverage, or interviews, or stories -- until I get back. And then, of course, I will be working double time to make up for it.
My Mom and Dad did this for me and my siblings from 1993-2018, until they were too old to travel. Deb's parents did a similar thing for a week in Oscoda, Mich. every year and that tradition continues.
I thought it was a brilliant idea then and even smarter now as I'm older.
"Scott, you and Deb find a way to get to Folly Island, S.C." my Dad said to me in planning for the first trip. "Your Mom and I have found a beach house for the week. We will cover the cost of lodging."
Life has come full circle. I said to Erin, Brett, Drew, Blair and Cory recently, "You guys get yourselves to Hawaii. Mom and I have found this beautiful home to rent just off the coast, up in the mountains."
This is where we are staying.
What benefits did I see with my own immediate family all those years ago? Well, I got to vacation with my brother and two sisters and their families for a week. Without it, I wouldn't see my brother Eric in Portland, Ore. or my sister Connie, who now lives in Spokane, Wash, or my sister Lisa, who now lives in Florida. I got to know my nephews and nieces and they, in turn, got to know their cousins, as they grew up. We did fun stuff together, rather than just celebrating birthdays and holidays, sitting around someone's house. We went to places we had never been before -- Outer Banks, Jersey Shore, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Ocean City, Maryland, large lakes in Tennessee and Pennsylvania (I trailered my ski boat on those trips) and so many others.
I chose Hawaii because Erin, Brett and Cory have never been and Drew and Blair live in San Francisco, so it's not too far for them to travel. If we don't do stuff like this, I fear that we won't have many chances to gather as a family. Yes, I see Cory every week and Erin and Brett live 10 minutes away. But, it's harder for Drew and Blair to get back to Michigan. I certainly get out to San Francisco a lot for work, but Drew doesn't get to see his sister or brother other than once a year.
And if I someday have grandchildren, I want for the cousins to know each other and for a chance to see my grandchildren.
When I was in my 20s and rather poor, our friends nicknamed me "Cruise Director". We would host them at our family cottage. My Dad made this volleyball set for shallow water. We poured cement into car tires to anchor the poles. Those things weighed a lot and took up space. We would play volleyball for hours in the sun in knee-deep water. We would have ice cream eating contests where your hands were tied behind your back. We would have an annual softball game, rent jet skis and visit kitchy amusement parks along Houghton Lake's southern shore on M-55. Go karts, batting cages, squirt gun-armed twirly innertubes floating in a giant pool where the whole purpose was to get your friends soaking wet on a hot day. And then we would come back to the cottage, have cookouts, play cards or board games well into the night. And the occasional beverage or two. It was a blast.
When I go on vacation, I don't like laying out in the sun, sitting on a beach all day, every day, or sitting by the edge of a pool. I like doing stuff.
So, I have planned an itinerary. We will go whale watching, snorkeling and we might go visit Halema' uma' u and see where the lava once flowed from an active volcano. We might feed Giant Manta Rays at night, under florescent lighting (no one seems to have the courage for that one) and we will certainly visit 4-5 beaches with names like Green Sand Beach, Kekaha Kai and Punalu'u Beach. Wherever
we can get with Cory in a wheelchair. Waterfalls and hikes.
Looking at all these pictures has me even more excited to go. Consider this my one and only postcard from Hawaii.
Until I see you in April. Aloha.
Scott