I am sure most, if not all, parents have thought this same thought. “Is this a vacation or a torture test?” Vacations in general can be a barrage of emotions but for an adoptive family those emotions are compounded drastically.
The emotions can be very good or very bad; middle ground rarely exists. The excitement of new places and people is replaced with fear, anger, and general unhappiness. It is overwhelming to say the least. To go on vacation is weeks in the making. No not for packing or finding a place to stay or planning out the fun things to do during the vacation. The preparing the kiddo for the new place, the unusual schedule, the possible crowds and the expected behavior.
I am pleased to report that this was our first successful vacation in three years being home. Yes, we still had some melt downs but they were resolved in a decent amount of time. All parties involved had fun, made memories and would gladly do it again; that’s a win!
The trip was filled with firsts; first time staying at the coast, playing in the sound instead of the ocean, being stung by a jellyfish (always fun, said no one ever) going to an aquarium, and eating seafood other than sushi.
We were blessed to go with some dear friends and their children, which took some pressure off me and the hubby. It also helped our son. The dynamics in a family are tough, but when it’s new to you, it’s weird as well as hard. Think first week of a new school. You want to fit in but don’t know how because you know very little about the new scene. So you are always on high alert, trying to be the “perfect” kid. Even after almost three years it’s a very delicate balance between “I trust you a little and I don’t think I can trust you with this”. Everyday is a new and unpredictable day.
We stayed on the sound side at Atlantic, NC. A nice house with a dock in the sound, which allowed the kids & parents to enjoy the water without crowds. It also allowed us to hunt for hermit crabs, cool shells and oysters. There are no photos of the hermit crabs; I made him put them back in the water. Admittedly after being “chased by Houdini”, the crab that refused to be trapped in a bucket, I said he deserved to be free. hahaha
We were even blessed to see a pod of dolphins in the mid morning hours. They were coming in with the tide and hunting food, is my guess. They were fun to watch but difficult to photograph.
Just 15 to 20 minutes from the rental house is the Cedar Island ferry landing, which also has a boat launch area. We were able to take the kayaks to the launch area and get them in the water with a small bit of effort. This proved to be a great place for everyone; less crowds, less waves and less wind. However, it came with more jellyfish and I’m fairly certain at one point there was a shark. Shh, don’t tell the kids.
We had a great time and wrapped up our stay with the trip to the NC Aquarium on Pine Knoll Shores. The admission price was reasonable and the kids all loved it. Including the big kid, me. We worked up quite an appetite at the aquarium, so we had to go eat. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant in Morehead city. The food was yummy and the staff were friendly. What a perfect way to end our trip.
Callthehousewife 