Reading the Family Road Trip article by Brandy Ford brought me back to those days of yesteryear when we packed up for the summer RV trip in our handy dandy Winnebego. Living in Florida the disputes did not usually begin until the Georgia line but begin they did and with a ferocity that was unimaginable. I wanted lobster for dinner and my bratty brother wanted McDonalds. I wanted to stay in a hotel with a comfy bed and 500 thread count sheets and he wanted to sleep in the puny top bunk. I yearned for a hotel tiled shower that did not require sitting on a toilet and showering at the same time (all the Winnebego had to offer) and he loved the shower-shoes trek to the campground nasty, spider-infested, cold-water-only shower.
Our parents allowed me to win some and my brother to be the victor at times. Maybe my career choice is a direct result of those vacations. It was a constant lesson in mediation and negotiation skills for three long weeks every summer. The trips ended abruptly the year we had a family vote allowing us to choose between putting in a pool or going on another three-week- long RV Trip. If I could go back in time, I would pick the RV trip every time!!