An adventure in vacation

My son-in-law, daughter and grandson came over on a very short visit after a long gap of two years. The vacation was over soon enough and when they left yesterday, the house looked empty and lifeless. The days were full and each day started with detailed planning for the day, but at the end of the day, there were discussions why the days did not go off as per the planning. Anyway, it was fun and we enjoyed every bit of it.

We had made an elaborate plan when my daughter mailed their program. We did some shopping and dusted and cleaned the entire house to welcome them. We even made a mental note of items to be prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After making all preparations, we traveled to Mumbai in time to receive them when they landed there and spent few days with them at our Son-in-law's place. But even with our detailed planning things did not go as planned, when we finally landed at our house. We arrived late in the evening and after much discussions, had to order curries from the hotel, being hungry and tired with the cleaning we still had to do. The next day morning, we all got up late and again we had to buy dosa batter from outside to prepare dosas. This set in motion a cycle for the days ahead, it seemed we were lucky when we we were able to make the food and enjoy it all together.

I remember my earlier vacations when I traveled to native place. Getting the rail reservation itself was a big hurdle and once you succeeded in it, the train journey through the hot summer days, drained your energy. But the very thought of spending the days with your family gave you the added spirit to journey across and forget the small inconveniences. Those days, there was no pantry cars in the train and one had to depend upon the wayside stalls for tea and food, if one had not taken the trouble of packing it from home. As soon as the train entered the platform, there was mad rush at the stalls for the eatables as no one was sure how long the train will stop at the particular station. Only the bigger junctions on the way provided good food and more stalls and where the train would stop for a longer amount of time. At other smaller places, one had to endure the mad rush to obtain anything that was needed. But one thing was different from now and that I seemed to have had more days of leave to spend.

Once the vacation was over the return journey began with items that are available in plenty at home. But invariably I heard my grandmother telling me that she could not do many things for us when we were with her. She had planned a trip to some place or wanted us to go to a relation's house or some other similar things. We returned to our work place promising her that during our next visit, we will definitely undertake that particular task.

Over the years, I find that the concept of vacation has changed. It has become very short and sweet. But to this day, the best part of vacation is the advance planning which we undertake in leisure, in the comfort of our home. And as it turns out, despite all the advance planning we could not meet some of our relations nor visit places of tourist attractions, as the vacation was very short, or some other unexpected delays along the way. Packing being the last minute thing, we even found that some things were left behind - some items which we had bought even before the arrival of my daughter so as not to forget it to carry back with her when she returned, were left behind.

I am sure my daughter made a mental note, as I had done after each vacation, for a longer, leisurely vacation with the family. But as is my habit I know that at the end of the vacation, I will find it very short and still complain about the unfinished items during that vacation, just like my grandmother did before me.