Dear Addie,
It's official! Menzo’s are on summer break! Sounds kind of funny, seeing it is that you've been in summer mode for weeks now, but here in the Menzo house we have 3 kiddos, at 3 different school, with 3 very different schedules - it’s not complicated at all (sarcasm)!
I survive off of multiple calendars and endless notes, but it's all worth it for everyone to get the education that is best for them. You know how people say no two people with autism are the same? Well I’d say no two children are the same (autism or not). So having said that, Clara finally wrapped up an amazing 7th-grade year this past Friday and it was time for us to take a much-needed breather away from the day to day chaos. Ah sweet vacation for the next 7 days, here we come!
Ha ha ha! I wish vacation was that simple! Spoiler Alert: vacation on this journey is far from simple - dare I say, sometimes even more stressful than our normal daily routine, but we continue to give it a solid attempt every year hoping for the best. The mission always being where can we do life, keeping as much as possible the same for you (but perhaps with a better view), while giving the other two yahoos new experiences and adventures.
Well I'm happy to report we may have found just that.
On a recent boys day trip, Daddy and Gabe scoped out the perfect spot and rental house in the Outer Banks eliminating the first of many big stresses vacationing can bring - staying in a hotel.
You're probably thinking, seriously? A hotel, I mean really how bad could that be?
Well here's the thing, a lot of families (even us pre-you, no offense) wouldn't even have batted an eye at staying in a hotel for a vacation getaway. I mean what's not to love? And especially if it's at a beach destination! Shazam! Room service, multiple restaurants to choose from - INSIDE your hotel, so no packing everyone up and driving around an unfamiliar town, pools sometimes many to choose from, private beach access and all the fun that goes with that. And let us not forget any parent’s favorite vacation luxury - housekeeping! Nothing better than a day at the pool making precious memories, and returning to beds freshly made and your bath towel magically transformed into a majestically sitting swan! Ah yes, hotel vacation. Stress-free!
Not exactly.
Let's look at that hotel vacation from our current day perspective.
Hotel. Basically sharing a house with a thousand other people. The walls aren't exactly soundproof and need I remind you that you are a screamer? Even if you're not screaming, your language doesn't just consist of words, but a series of loud noises which can be off putting to those who don’t know you. We are used to it, others not so much. All it takes is one person to not appreciate you serenading their relaxing vacation with your unique language and boisterous expression, and next thing you know, a complaint is filed (or better yet, security pays us a visit - true story).
The hotel room, which is unfamiliar to you can trigger significant stimulation driving your need for a “quiet place” to decompress. Not a lot of options for that in most hotels with every corner bustling with strangers and activity. While two (adjoining) rooms make for better sleeping arrangements, it also can serve as a needed “break room” for you. But, it’s a less than ideal arrangement.
Keeping on the hotel room theme here, it’s laughable to think those locks on the door would keep you in, and let's not even think about you in your Evel Knievel ways climbing the balcony - that literally makes me sick to my stomach with worry every time I think about it.
Of course we always have eyes on you like hawks, but let's just say it's not exactly relaxing for anyone involved, and we kind of sleep with one eye open in case you decide to go venturing in the middle of the night, God forbid.
Pools. No real issue here other than when its time to leave. Fun fact about hotel pools - there's no ”adult swim” time ;) which means you can swim as long as you want too! Score! But... you know what else doesn't have adult swim time? The beach. But there is the whole megalodon thing... more on that later...
Time to eat. Restaurants or room service? There's no “make a shicken” or “make a taco” here. Even if these options existed at a restaurant it probably wouldn't satisfy your taste and surely a meltdown would ensue. Can you say all eyes on us? And now you are super stressed, and the rest of us are equally stressed too. Not. Relaxing. Room service is a nice option - yet crazy expensive, and just not realistic for every meal for 7 days Addie. How nice would it be to just have a kitchen on vacation with us?
Insert our OTOD vacation getaway 2019 to a rental beach house! A first for us as a family.
With predictably unpredictable following us like Peter Pan’s shadow everywhere in life, there was still a looming cloud of unknown to how all this was going to play out. But we were at least starting with or what we thought (or hoped rather) would be less stress.
Packed for the next 7 days, fingers (and toes) crossed we were off to test out beach living!
To be continued...
Love,
Mom
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