What is Your Dream Vacation?

By Janice Carter and Lee McKenzie

Janice here. When Lee suggested “What is your dream vacation?” for today’s post, my first thought was Wow! How will I ever narrow it down to a single place? At the same time, I realized that in the past, I’d have answered that question many different ways.

Before kids and marriage, I’m sure I’d envision something exotic as well as thrilling and adventurous. Even though that’s not the kind of person I am – or was, even then. But I do know that’s the kind of risk-taker I’d have liked to be in another lifetime or in a parallel universe.

Later, as a mother with two very young children, my idea of a dream vacation would have been a weekend anywhere and any place, without kids. I did have that opportunity, but when they were old enough to eat, dress and use the bathroom with no assistance so the sensation of freedom wasn’t quite as exhilarating.

When the kids were off to college and I was still working full-time, my dream vacation was a 4-star, all-inclusive resort in Cuba during one of the busiest times of year if you were a teacher in Ontario – March Break. I remember the early scramble to the beach to get a ‘palapa’ and lounge chairs, the long, lazy mornings that merged into early afternoon and the promise of poolside cocktails or another foraging at the all-day buffet. Even the unexpected encounter with a student and her parents—what were the chances?—was only slightly discombobulating. (Did I mention I was a teacher-librarian?)

Retirement meant we could vacation any time of the year and we had a wonderful opportunity to swap houses with another couple who live in western Canada but own a beachside house on the Gulf of Mexico in the Yucatan. Their daughter, who lives in Toronto, was about to give birth to their first grandchild and someone (could it have been me?) had the brilliant idea of exchanging homes - our wintery Canadian one for their winter refuge in Mexico.

I think we got the best part of that arrangement, though they’d argue otherwise. Sadly, their second grandchild was a summer baby!

I guess any vacation can be a dream one if it means an escape from stressful, busy lives. But in my golden years (or should I say silver?) the lure of luxury and pampering is irresistible. I’m opting for a first-class European river cruise with all the perks (Verandah Suite?) followed by a stay at a world-famous hotel somewhere….anywhere.

Until that hypothetical lottery win, I’ll continue to enjoy my own version of a dream vacation here at Garden Island with various members of my family – a high end bottle of domestic sparkling wine and a couple of steaks. The first-class part? Letting the others clean up.

***

Lee here. My list of dream vacations is so long, it’s difficult to narrow them down. And virtually impossible to take, unless I win that lottery Janice mentioned. Like Janice, I'm not very adventurous. To make matters worse, I hate flying. Really hate it, always have, and so that's a limiting factor. Still, I can dream! So, selected from my very long list of dream vacations, here's a sample:

A trans-Atlantic crossing aboard the Queen E.

A rustic lake-front cabin at remote Lake O’Hara in the rugged Canadian Rockies.

A rafting trip through Grand Canyon. Can you imagine?

Hiking in Iceland. So beautiful.

But the reality—now that I’m a grandmother—is that my ideal vacation is all about family and very different from my dream vacation. Wading in tide pools and building sandcastles by day.

Mesmerizing seaside sunsets with a glass of wine in the evening. Laid back, relaxing, and the perfect way to recharge.

I may never to get Iceland or cruise the Atlantic on a luxury ocean liner, but I can never spend enough time with family.

So our question for you is...what’s your dream vacation? Do you think you’ll take it someday? And if not, how do you spend your ideal vacation time? We hope you’ll share, and we wish you a wonderful summer.

And until next time, happy reading.

Lee and Janice