Coming from a not so affluent business family,we never went out for vacations on school holidays.I secretly wished for our family annual holidays.So the time came when we started earning and my parents could relax a bit.
As I started going out with them ,I learnt a few things
1) My idea of holiday is not exactly same as theirs. They always wanted to visit temples or some relatives.So I try to combine visit with some sight seeing nearby.This way we both are happy.
2)Traveling for fun is an idea they are alien too. This is something that I had to work on.I tell them in advance about the place we are to visit.It's significance,history. Show them pictures. This way they get involved and look forward to the trip.
3)It is not just them,but I also had doubts about enjoying the temple visits.But surprisingly ,most of them have been better than I expected. The 11km parikrama in Mathura,or traveling all the way to Gangasagar(I now understand why they say-"Sab tirth baar baar GangaSagar Ek Baar") or pouring water from the different kunds in Rameshwaran .All have been fun. As they say ,traveling breaks the notion we all have about each place.
4)I always prefer traveling light even in trains. But my mom would not listen and end up carrying bunch of food to eat. Though I oppose each time,I end up eating most of them in train :). Some fights are always meant to be.
5)It struck me,how times have turned.I was being protective about them .Being scared they might lose their way or fall.However witnessing the indomitable spirit of my dad(72 years) and my mom(66 years) to do all of the itinerary(climbing a small mountain ,walking two kms at a stretch) while on a trip eased my fears.Keeping my anxiety in check,I try to let them be and enjoy.
6) The struggle of power is inevitable between parents and children.They will never agree ,that we have grown up enough and we will never understand that they have experienced life more than us. Their questioning will offend us and we not taking their suggestions will offend them. Finding a balance and maintaining patience is extremely vital.
7) Once I started traveling with my parents ,I got to see a different side of them. When the first time ,they traveled by flight,I could see their child-like excitement. Every visit , I saw their enthusiasm to explore and experience .I never knew I inherited the qualities from them :).
8)Traveling together made me more comfortable ,with their coping abilities . It also boosted their confidence. Now they travel independently with different people even if me or my siblings do not join them.
Lastly,traveling with them gives me a week or more completely devoted to them;something which becomes extremely difficult throughout the year.It gives us the time to bond and relive our childhood .It also gives me the opportunity to create lifetime of memories,something I will cherish forever.