We have all been on family trips, some better than others. Most adults look back on their childhood trips with an odd combination of nostalgia, loathing and fondness. Most familys go through what I like to call the 5 stages of tripping.
Stage 1: Excitement – Let’s do it, it will be great!
Stage 2: Planning – Where, When, how will be pay for it, What were we thinking, Why???
Stage 3: The Trip – The kids skip stage 2 so stage 3 starts with good feelings and high expectations for them. At this point the Adults question if they could have skipped stage 2 as well. All does not go as planned but, it’s still kind of fun but the surprises are disruptive and annoying.
Stage 4: The Wrap-up – After the trip is over it’s generally agreed that it wasn’t too bad, everyone is pretty satisfied. Even some of the anoying things were kind of funny.
Stage 5: The Memories – Otherwise known as the big payoff. Looking back it is discovered it is one of the best trips ever, we got to do all kinds of things, tourist stuff and things off the beaten path. It really wasn’t that expensive compared to what we got out of it. This experience will enable the parents to consider the next trip. The kids when they have families will hold this up as a standard propelling them headlong into Phase 1 of their own trip. Thus is the circle of vacations.
This family is different. Actually in some ways they are completly average and typical but their ability to think up Stage 1, skip Stage 2, complete Stage 3 and 4 in parrallel and have a Stage 5 so compelling that 1000s of people want to live vicariouslly through them, makes the extraordinary. You think your marathon trip to Florida in the back of the family Chevy was gruling? Your hike down the Grand Canyon and back was hard? You need to click on the link above. The Pedouins (that’s the Family’s name) have a tag line – One family, two wheels, 7000 miles. Mom, Dad and 3 girls ages 3, 5 and 7 on a 5 seater bike. Prepair to be inspired.