My family is a pretty normal one.  We have our good times and we have our bad times.  So, when my mom and I started talking about taking a vacation with the ENTIRE family, I thought this is going to either be the best vacation or the worst vacation ever. 

Our family agreed to meet in Deep Creek Lake in McHenry, MD, near Wisp Resort.  My husband and I honeymooned there almost 10 years ago (man, I am getting old) and we always wanted to go back.  This gave us the perfect opportunity.

So, we loaded up the kids and traveled up to meet my mom, step-dad, sister, brother, sister-in-law and their three active boys for a stay in a house without an air-conditioner.  The baby was oblivious but my poor 4 year-old son is a bonified city-kid.  He feels at home in a museum or going to a show.  He can fly a kite on the National Mall or is a pro at riding the metro.  Nature is something entirely new to him. 

RECOGNIZED TANGENT: I know what you are thinking – “Heather, you are an environmentalist.  How can you not take your child to the woods?” My answer – I am deathly, tragically, miserably afraid of snakes. I am talking so afraid that I used to tuck the edges of my covers under my body when I went to bed each night for fear that a snake would somehow find its way into my room.  To this day, I don’t go into a reptile house at the zoo and don’t even get me started on those crazy people who allow their kids to have snakes as pets.  So, no, I don’t generally go into the woods.  Anyway, I digress…

My son doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable in the woods and here he was in the middle of a beautiful state forest with my brother’s boys, who spend most of their days outside.  At first, he was skeptical.  The first morning we were there, he took the Spiderman fishing pole that his Grandfather gave him and pretended to fish over the edge of the porch.  He had no interest in going to the river to find real fish.  He was perfectly content to stay dry and catch his fake, red, plastic fish.  Now, I am sure that my colleagues who are working so hard to promote sustainable fishing practices would love for more people settle for skipping the water, sitting on their porch and pretending to fish, but my nephews had different ideas for my little boy.  We were going near the water whether he liked it or not. 

As the week progressed with boating, swimming, light hiking and wading in the river, I watched as my son went from a city slicker to a child that truly enjoyed being outdoors.  I had a “eureka” moment when I suddenly understood what I had been preaching for all of these years – all things, all people are connected.  Even though my son hasn’t grown up climbing trees or swimming in ponds to this point, loving nature is part of his natural being. 

What could’ve been a week of disasters turned out to be one of the best I have ever had.  Not only did we get to enjoy our ENTIRE family in paradise, we got to witness the transformation of a kid to what he always was – someone who loved the gifts of the outdoors.  I hope that love stays with him forever.   

Have a great day!
Heather