When I traveled to New Orleans a few years ago, there were eight of us traveling together. Some of us were already familiar with each other, while others weren’t. Once we all settled at the airport concourse waiting for our flight I pulled out a deck of cards. Not just any cards – a game of “Would you Rather.” This game involves different sets of scenarios that are weird and make you think.

The eight of us sat in the airport taking turns reading scenarios out loud to everyone else. Soon we were all laughing at some of the hilarious outcomes that we ‘would rather do’ like have 5 inch big toes rather than 5 inch thumbs.  Before we knew it the two hours flew by and we already had stories to laugh about – and the real vacation hadn’t even begun!

Looking back, playing that card game was not the highlight of the trip, but it did provide a fun start. Everyone felt comfortable with each other and no one was bored at the airport. Next time you pack for a trip – think about tossing a card game in your luggage, you never know the memories it’ll create.

Here a few examples:

“Mad” is said to mean crazy. As in: ‘Have you gone mad?’

“Rubbish” is garbage or trash. As in: ‘Throw out that awful rubbish’

“Fish and Chips” sounds like fish and potato chips, but it’s fish with French Fries – a very typical item you can find on most menus throughout London.

A few that took me some time to figure out:

“Underground” refer to as the subway in the States. Don’t ask locals how to find the nearest subway unless you want to head towards your next meal.

“Mind the Gap” is the announcement made at every stop on the underground. At first I was confused as to what ‘gap’ I was suppose to be mindful of. When I stepped off the train and noticed the 6 inches of “gap” between the train and the cement, I realized that mind the gap is what we would say “watch your step”

“Holiday” was said by multiple people during my visit in May. I kept thinking to myself ‘what holiday is coming up that everyone is talking about?’ It means vacation in London, not the typical “special days of the year’ that we use it as. I love any holiday I can take!

If you find yourself on a holiday in London be sure to mind the gap while on the underground. Don’t go mad and toss your fish and chips in the rubbish before eating it!

On the back end of your trip, it’s also important not to let the transition from the vacation back to ‘real life’ stress you out too much or to lose that free ‘n easy vacation feeling too fast once you’re home. Sometimes, after being home just two days after a trip, I can’t believe that the relaxed vacation feeling is already gone!

Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years:

Be conscience of the time change: Traveling through different time zones is nice when you gain a few hours one way, but a headache when you lose time in the opposite direction. As a child the concept of “time zones” confused me (science was never my strong subject) and now I have to take the “time” to plan out how exactly it will affect me. When I traveled to London, England (which is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time) we lost an entire day. We had to sleep on the 12-hour flight because when we landed in London it was the next morning, even though it felt like the previous evening. I got a decent night’s rest on the plane and didn’t pull an all-nighter before starting the trip in London, which got me off to a good start.

Plan for a big load of laundry: Packing is always challenging for me but unpacking is a breeze: I dump my suitcase into a laundry hamper and call it a day. This of course results in a couple extra loads of laundry for me. To help take away the stress of coming back from a trip, I like to clean before I leave for vacation. That way, I come home to a clean home and can throw my suitcase around any which way. Plus, if your laundry hamper is empty, the extra loads you bring home with you shouldn’t stress you out too much.

Facing the Credit Card Bill (or $0 Debit Card Balance): Spending money on a vacation comes very easily, but checking my balance after I return home sometimes makes my mouth drop! I can recall a number of less-than-smart ways I’ve spent my money while traveling, but somehow I seem to justify it when I’m out in the sun all day. In order to avoid the panic of seeing a $0 balance on your debit card, plan a budget ahead of the trip. Look up prices for entertainment and activities beforehand so you have an idea of how much things cost in the city/country you’re traveling to. I like to pay with cash so I have a budget to spend per day and I use my credit card only ‘if absolutely necessary.’ (And yes, the oversized Frisbee is an absolutely necessary purchase!)

During our trip we discovered Daytona Beach, which was a small road trip away from where we stayed in Orlando. We had rented a car and drove to the beach. The cool and unique thing about Daytona Beach is that you can drive your car ON the beach! This was the first surprise we discovered.

You’ll notice that my mom is bundled up in the photo. In Florida? The second surprise of the day was that it was NOT typical warm weather in Florida. On average it’s expected to be in the 60’s in Florida in December. When we stayed there it was in the low 50’s. While it was still sunny and warmer than Cleveland, it was not ocean swimming weather 

My sister and I decided to drive around the beach while my parents went for a walk and to our surprise we learned how hard it is to drive on sand! As a Clevelander we’re used to snow, sleet, and hail, but sand was a whole new game. At one point we found ourselves stuck in the sand. We tried rocking the car to get out (a typical stuck in snow move) but the car still wasn’t budging. Luckily a van was driving nearby that saw we were stuck and helped push us out. Super embarrassing, but luckily they were from Pennsylvania and have seen cars get stuck plenty of times.

The rest of our trip in Florida was fun and filled with sunshine. But the day trip to Daytona Beach was a sweet surprise for all of us.

MOM enjoys the Falls. The breathtaking site of the Falls is truly one-of-a-kind. There are a number of hotels that offer window views of the Falls from your room. Whether it be day time or night time (when lights are shining on the falls) it is a picture perfect site.

DAD enjoys the Casino. If you’re feeling lucky (and are at least 19 years of age) you can press your luck at either of the two casinos in Niagara Falls. From slot machines to card tables there are games for anyone to try.

My SISTER and I enjoy the Clifton district (the most touristy spot in Niagara Falls). This spot marks a bunch of fun attractions to do, including; Haunted Houses, Putt Putt, arcades, museums, souvenir shopping plazas, and much more! Below is a picture of the Ferris wheel that our whole family went on to get another view of the Falls and district!

Niagara Falls has always been a fun family vacation destination for us. There’s plenty to do that makes it easy for us to keep coming back!

We walked around the park twice sniffing out our multi-cultural options.

• Tacos and churros in Mexico.
• Eggrolls and lo mein in China.
• Bratwursts in Germany.
• Pasta in Italy.
• Burgers and fries in America.
• Sushi and seafood in Japan.
• Lamb in Morocco.
• Escargot in the French Bistro.
• Fish and chips in United Kingdom.

What I liked about Epcot’s eating’s was the cultural choicest. Where else can you walk between homemade pasta sauce and fresh grilled bratwursts?!  What I didn’t like was the fancy dinning options in some of the countries. I was hoping to try food that I wasn’t familiar with (like lamb!) but I didn’t want to go to a higher priced restaurant if I ended up hated it. I’m a bit picky that way.

We landed in China. Well we walked around the parked twice and thought General Tso chicken and fried rice sounded great. The restaurant had a Chinese feel to it and our place settings taught us how to write Chinese symbols. Eating in Epcot could take a whole day if you tried everything. I suggest grabbing a map and lapping the park first.

Originally the bell was ordered for the Pennsylvania State House (known today as Independence Hall) in 1752. The bell has been re-cast twice since 1753. The 2,080-pound bell rang to announce many important events in early American history and to call state legislatures into session, back when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.

History buff or not, viewing an iconic symbol of liberty of freedom is pretty cool. It made it more fun to open my textbook and read about the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War and other historical event at the start of our country’s history.  I felt as if I had travelled back in time to the land of our Founding Fathers. Plus this 3 feet bell with a crack that’s 24.5 inches is more impressive in person than in any textbook or photo I’ve seen! The bell can be viewed 24 hours a day and worth a road trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The answer to that question is simple: they enjoyed their vacation and discovered “Hugo and Kim got pinned” when they came home.

When I took a class trip to London, England I was forced to survive without a cell phone for 10 days. My phone had no international roaming so I had to adapt quickly. At first I was nervous to lose that connection with my family and friends back home. However, as the trip continued the lack of connection to my home made me less homesick. (I didn’t miss what I didn’t know was going on). It also forced me to spend more time hanging out with the group of other students who turned out to be pretty cool.

Not to mention, I was able to get lost in the city of London! (Not literally, that is a good example of when cell phones are particularly handy on vacations.) The 10 days went by so fast between the sites and culture I was able to forget about anything happening “across the pond.”

Chances are it’ll be a long time before I visit London again. But Glee will be available to watch on DVD, so really, what was I missing? I’m not admitting to turning my cell phone off on every vacation I go on. I am admitting that I believe Ferris Bueller, when he said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”

When I was a child, we’d drive from Ohio to Canada. The hardest part was facing border control, both entering and leaving the country. Lines can be long and if you honk your horn and scream “hurry up” it only upsets the guards! You can expect your car to be searched. The only option is to get in a line and be patient. It’s helpful to have know the answers to security’s questions ahead of time. Know where you’re from, where you’re going, how long you’re staying, and count the number of souvenirs you bought. You don’t want to look ‘suspicious’ by counting items in your purse when the guard asks you ‘what kind of souvenirs did you buy?’

A few years ago it got a little trickier to travel to Canada; a birth certificate was required to come back into the States. My family discovered this new rule when we were at the border control; it was embarrassing to say the least. For years we had handed our driver licenses as proof of ID, then one year the guard asked where our birth certificates were.

Good question, either in a box with my baby blanket or in the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet that holds all those important documents my parents won’t let me touch; why do you ask?! Although birth certificates were the new required form of ID, luckily my Dad was able to plead ignorance and we were granted entrance back into the U.S.

Today, the rules have changed again; one must have a passport (or the passport card) to travel to Canada. The passport card looks like a driver’s license and costs a little less than the passport book.  It may become more of a hassle to get into Canada, but there’s plenty to do once you get there. If you don’t believe it, check this out and notice my gorgeous photos of Niagara Falls.

Laying on the hammock day in and day out was how I spent my time in Florida. The isolation of the hammock allowed peace and quiet all the time. It also created my favorite spot to read.

Suntans aren’t the reason I lay out. In fact I don’t really care how white I am. But mid-day naptime is amazing under a big marshmallow-shaped cloud in a blue sky. I haven’t had a nap so peaceful since I was two!

I wouldn’t call myself a “bird watcher” but I enjoy watching birds while I’m at the beach. When I wake up from my beach nap I usually like to throw breadcrumbs to the seagulls just to watch them swoop down and eat.  It’s one of those simple pleasures that engage me for quite a while.

Ok, so doing nothing can get a bit boring sometimes. After I’ve listened to every song on my ipod, finished my book, have hammock creases on my arms and legs and have had all the sun I can handle in a day, THEN I know it’s time to walk away and find something to do (something relaxing of course.) After I come home I like to print pictures out so I can always take a break and remember the basics of relaxing on vacation.