I don't know what you're family vacations were like...
But after my parents stopped feeling obligated to take us to Disney, once a year my two brothers and I were told we could pack up whatever fit in our backpacks - and take it with us to visit our cousins in Florida.
I was 13 or 14 so that meant a basketball, two hats, my Discman, a CD booklet, the latest Eastbay magazine, and whatever clothes I could jam in there.
My middle brother, Michael - packed his Sega GameGear, sandals that didn't quite fit, and his penchant for doing and saying allof the most annoying things.
And our youngest brother would load his backpack full of his "guys" - a collection the 43 most important action figures he owned at the time - and wear his bathing suit on the plane. It's the only outfit he wore on the trip. My mother grew up with the last name Kennedy, in an era that worshipped “The Kennedy’s.” Their family vacations were iconic – ours were not. But it was a chance for my parents to get away from work, for us to get away from school, and for the five Tuths family members to just be around each other. It was a “reset” button for everyone. And before you try to tell me that I couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to be a president, or politician, or presidential candidate on vacation… my mom took A LOT of pictures.
There are pictures from the time Vincent fell out of a tree and busted his face open no less than 40 minutes after we arrived. There are pictures from the time my brother’s and I went fan-boating down in the glades. There are pictures of us snorkeling, and barbequing, and throwing a football around. There are pictures of us in go-karts and batting cages and skate parks – and all of the other places that parents really don’t feel like going, but take you to anyway because you’ll have fun. We weren’t the Kennedys or the Romneys or the Bushes or the Obamas… but we got by. We weren’t presidential, but eventually I like to think we’ll be candidates for something… maybe social security?
In case you missed Tuesday's segment where we talked about Presidential Summer Vacations check it out here: