So, here we are, in the middle of our 16 day, 8 state vacation and our van engine blows in Silverthorne, Colorado.
Renaya (10) was devastated. Through her sobs, we discovered that she hates the fact that we don't camp enough and this was her only opportunity to force Daddy to do the deed. Easy to rectify. We'll just have to do more of it around home. After all, with this setback, there is no way we'll be able to take another long vacation during their childhood.
When the tow came to the top of the mountain to pick us up, the gentleman asked me to direct traffic. Later, Frederic (7) revealed that being a "director man" was his dream job. When we arrived at our hotel in Silverthorpe, he stopped a car in the parking lot, allowing a little girl and her mom to get across the traffic lane. He was tickled pink.
The tow put us atop his flatbed trailer and all eight of us sat in the van going back down the mountain. Renaya said, "This is the best part of our trip! I love feeling the van rock back and forth!". I looked at Kristine and we giggled as we gripped the doors harder with our already white knuckles, pressing on our imaginary brakes.
The van, now at the shop, we walked to a park in town. Felicity (5) caught up to me and softly tugged at my hand. "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a worker man that picks up cars."
They won't remember the one night we camped. That one miserable night. They won't remember our trip to the zoo in Colorado Springs. They won't remember visiting the Millers and the Fountains (okay, they'll remember that). But, twenty years from now, they'll remember one vivid thing about this vacation - the fact that our van broke down and we rode a tow down the mountain.
Incongruous Circumspection, reporting from a hotel room in Silverthorne, Colorado, stranded in body and mind.
Renaya (10) was devastated. Through her sobs, we discovered that she hates the fact that we don't camp enough and this was her only opportunity to force Daddy to do the deed. Easy to rectify. We'll just have to do more of it around home. After all, with this setback, there is no way we'll be able to take another long vacation during their childhood.
When the tow came to the top of the mountain to pick us up, the gentleman asked me to direct traffic. Later, Frederic (7) revealed that being a "director man" was his dream job. When we arrived at our hotel in Silverthorpe, he stopped a car in the parking lot, allowing a little girl and her mom to get across the traffic lane. He was tickled pink.
The tow put us atop his flatbed trailer and all eight of us sat in the van going back down the mountain. Renaya said, "This is the best part of our trip! I love feeling the van rock back and forth!". I looked at Kristine and we giggled as we gripped the doors harder with our already white knuckles, pressing on our imaginary brakes.
The van, now at the shop, we walked to a park in town. Felicity (5) caught up to me and softly tugged at my hand. "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a worker man that picks up cars."
They won't remember the one night we camped. That one miserable night. They won't remember our trip to the zoo in Colorado Springs. They won't remember visiting the Millers and the Fountains (okay, they'll remember that). But, twenty years from now, they'll remember one vivid thing about this vacation - the fact that our van broke down and we rode a tow down the mountain.
Incongruous Circumspection, reporting from a hotel room in Silverthorne, Colorado, stranded in body and mind.
Oh, they will remember the happy times too. They will remember the zoo, and camping, and directing traffic. They will.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the van. I really am. :(
I know it doesn't help myuch, but sometimes the disaster can still be an amazing experience, especially when the parents are self-aware enough to not take their disapointment out on the kids. Like you said, they will totally remember this, and you'd be surprised by what they remember, watching america's funniest videos on the floor of the hotel, playing at the park, having ice cream at culvers. I remember waking up after camping in the rain soaked to the skin, we had to spend the whole day at the laundromat drying out all the sleeping bags, but I enjoyed it because there was no other expectation for the day other than to dry our things and spend time together. Hopefully it gets better for you guys, the van breaking down totally 100% sucks! You'll have to tell us all about it when you come back.
ReplyDeleteNoooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Total bummer. I am so sorry. We had that happen one summer, although we were local, but still up in the mountains. We retired our 12 passenger van that day. Gut wrenching stuff. I am sick for you. What can we do to help? Facebook us.
ReplyDelete