Remember National Lampoon’s movie, Vacation?

I’m the matriarch of a budding family, mother of 4 adult children and soon to be grandmother.  I’m still growing, learning, deciding what I want to be and do when I grow up, and am always amazed and grateful for the continual lessons my (sometimes challenging) family provides for me.

My family goal, is that we have at least one vacation, or time together to connect, unplug, and be present for one another.  So my son requested that we go to Yosemite in California and my oldest daughter, the “planner” in the family, found a spot on VRBO.  Not your ordinary Vacation Rental By Owner, but a 7,000-acre Bison Ranch outside of Yosemite.  It was Awesome…and Adventurous!

Getting adult children corralled to dedicate one week together (did I say unplugged?) away from their busy lives to “connect” is quite a feat.  The first year I did this was a few years ago after my daughter’s cancer relapse and it felt like a medical emergency to me. I said three days, no cell phones or computers. We were going to a family retreat housed at a children’s camp in the mountains. We played games, did vision boards, practiced yoga dance (not in my husband and son-in-law’s comfort zone), did the teambuilding ropes course and experienced a giant scream-evoking rope swing.

Last year we did a family “staycation” where everyone met at our home and we did day trips, however this year I wanted more togetherness.

11 adults sharing one bathroom and a one-room log cabin in the middle of hair-raising off-wheel roads will indeed, provide you with “togetherness.”  This is a testament to the fortitude of family.  To quote our host, “You guys are both conservative and crazy.”  Still trying to figure out what he meant by that…

When my husband asked my son’s girlfriend Gabrielle, “What surprised you the most about this vacation?” Gabrielle replied, “The Death Ride; I definitely wasn’t expecting that!”

We all climbed into our minivan for a nice ride to the river for an afternoon swim.  The river was only 7 miles (on the hand drawn map as the crow flies) away. What we didn’t know or foresee that to get there was to drive over death-defying dirt roads, complete with mind-blowing views and deep cliffs. Once we started our journey there was no place to go but straight through.  Have I told you that I’ve developed a fear of heights and guess who was behind the wheel?  Moi, my husband was on the highway back to SFO to retrieve lost baggage.

I took a deep breath and announced that this is out of my comfort zone, “Please put on your $&*# seatbelts.” You know it was tense when my social media junkie kids were too busy holding on for dear life to take any videos or pics.  I finally said, “is someone recording this because no one will believe us!?”

They screamed, “Keep your eyes on the road Mom!”

My son-in-law was on an ATV leading the way and my daughter was petrified that we would slide into him and push him off the cliff at the bottom of one of our hairpin curves. Thomas was on an ATV while we were in a friggin mini-van…Did I mention that we were sliding down rocks and dirt, testing our brakes all the way? At one point we got stuck trying to scale a narrow dirt road and nearly slid into a tree (albeit a welcome choice to sliding off the cliff).  My son is the only one with experience in off-roading.  He is also the daredevil in the family so I hesitated to hand over the reins, but again, choices were limited.  We got unstuck by practicing our survival team building skills and letting Brad, my other son-in-law get out of the car and navigate backing down the narrow terrain, and then Travis scaling the mountain with us running behind, cheering at our victory.  Dana yelled, “This is supposed to be a vacation, no more teambuilding!”

Comic and laughter is a great way to reduce steam and relax.  We joked that Disney rides ( and Wally World) had nothing on Cowboy Bronse’s ranch roads. The only difference is that when my adrenaline-junkie kids finish a hair-raising Disney ride, they want to ride it again. 

There was not one person who wanted to repeat this trip. In fact, when we finally did make it to the river, we chose to drive miles out of our way to avoid the same roads.

Lessons learned:

There’s only one way to move from fear and that is to walk through it. We had only one road and one way to go, straight ahead, focused on faith that we would persevere. I took a deep breath, prayed to God and made the conscious choice to relax. It was at that point that I said, “Someone document this OK?” I knew we would be OK and that I would not panic and when the “ride” was over, felt more empowered for it.  In fact, the earlier road to the remote cabin that felt scary, now became a piece of cake.  It’s all about perspective and how we choose to view the challenge.  I know that I can drive under these circumstances and survive. I pushed my comfort zone, tested my faith and created a few memories in the process.  Isn’t that what family vacations are for?

Did you have a fun Griswold vacation this summer? Any lessons learned while on school break? Can you identify with this?  Please share!

Carpe Diem!

PS

1. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
2. I contend that strength, prosperity and well-being must begin within the individual and then the family.  I am thankful for our jobs that enable us to create this time together. In doing so, we all become better individuals and citizens.  Happy Labor Day to you!
3. 
4. I also hope you will consider joining me and other authors and health coaches in our first Self Health Movement Retreat (in 21/2 weeks!) in Asilomar, California. Bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.

   You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you! Here’s some of what we will be offering:

   1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside studio spaces.
   2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges
   3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!
   4. You can choose workshops from other inspirational authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website
   5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines, and bonfires to music.
   6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.
   7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

   Please let me know how I can best assist you or inspire you as you discover optimal health and wellness. With Love & Gratitude,
   Lisa