Crazy Family Vacation
For spring break, my family and I took an extremely eventful road trip to Orlando, Florida. Eight people, all in one car. Messes were everywhere, Airbnb/Hotel rooms were torn up, expenses were rising, and fun memories were being made. All photos were taken by Aeriana Smith '25.
Car Ride
The entire car was jam-packed with suitcases, bags, snacks, and blankets. Some of us were lying on the floor and some were sprawled out in one of the many van seats. Though it was a long trip, we blasted music and screamed our favorite songs until we lost our voices to pass the time. However, the insanity was rising when the baby was screaming, the parents were tired of driving, or the kids were hungry and needed a bathroom break. The drive was making us all feel chaotic, but it was such a relief when we finally arrived.
Journey There
On the way to Orlando, we stopped at Virginia Beach and stayed the night so we could have fun the next day before we had to keep driving. The next day consisted of playing on the beach, walking on the pier, and getting delicious coffees before we headed off to our next stop, Savannah, Georgia. When staying in Savannah, we got this very big Airbnb that had a pool and lake to fish in, so everyone was outside taking advantage of our time there before we had to pack up and finish getting to Orlando.
Arrival
When we finally arrived in Orlando, we stayed at this very cool hotel called World Center Marriot which I've been to a couple of times. At the hotel, there's a giant pool, very delicious food places/bar, waterpark, golf, arcade, etc. Our kids were having an absolute blast and the parents definitely felt like their money was well-spent. Family friends were staying in a hotel close by so we all got together and hung out from night until something-in-the-morning, really making the most of our time. When we left the hotel, we stayed in the coolest Airbnb and on the way there we tried Cracker Barrel for the first time. The store was very entertaining inside the restaurant: the employees were more than kind. We finally arrived at the Airbnb and we had a big kitchen, our own pool, multiple bathrooms, a whole arcade room, and everyone had their own bedroom. Family friends came over once again and stayed very late while we all hung out in the pool, arcade, and our very comforting bedrooms. Also, let's not forget to mention the cool sleepover we had with them! The next day consisted of packing and heading home.
Leaving
Everyone was very sad to pack up and leave. The part we dreaded the most was knowing that we had to go back to freezing weather and not stay where we felt sunkissed... Everyone's things were scattered all over the Airbnb and we were supposed to have a late checkout but then we had to rush because people booked the Airbnb, which was very stressful. We finally all got packed in the car and headed home, but we had two last fun experiences! First, we stopped at a zoo and saw really cute animals, and second, we stopped at Daytona Beach, and my cousins, Dad, and I swam in the hectic waves. We stayed for an hour or two and once we were done, we drove straight all the way home.
Signing out
In all, my crazy family vacation made some of the the best memories. From chaos to excitement, I wouldn't rather do it with anyone else. If you enjoyed hearing about my eventful family, tune in for the next family vacation story!