The family decided to do a vacation to Myrtle Beach, our childhood spot, after a long and hard 2021, but that changed when my older brother decided to remain in Taiwan for the summer. Instead, the rest of our clan decided to squirrel away in West Salem, Illinois. In all honesty, I couldn’t even keep straight what state we were going to, but I was excited for a day trip to St. Louis to add Missouri to my states list. We also had a day trip planned to Casey, Illinois. I supported this strictly to see the World’s Largest Pitchfork. The rest of the time would be spent in relative solitude, with two of my siblings and my mother.
We reserved a cabin on AirBnB in West Salem that had access to a lake and a pool and was large enough for 4 adults. It had something for everyone, but it was a trip that would truly make my mom feel at home. I would say the planning ahead of time made the majority of the trip relatively easy, which isn’t always easy for our family. No longer living at home, we have all become our own individuals and our personalities don’t always compliment each other, but I’d say some hard lessons over the last few years made things easier on us. Boundaries were set (and mostly not crossed) and our own coping mechanisms came into play, until the final day and a half of the trip, when not being able to decompress clearly got to a few of us.
Early in the week we made a strip to St. Louis where we enjoyed time on a Riverboat tour, around the Arch, and at the Spaghetti Factory. A last minute add on, I think the riverboat was the best part, and that’s saying something considering how I feel about water. It was an hour ride up and down parts of the Mississippi River with some fun history stories along the way. I think my brother particularly enjoyed learning how combustible steamboats were.
Then, we headed up for my brother and sister to discover the Arch. Mom, having been before, and I, who are both not fans of heights, decided to just enjoy a nice walk in the park and some time in the museum, where she discovered I actually take notes. (I may write something else specifically about my time in the museum.) We finished our day at the Spaghetti Factory, where we stuffed ourselves before returning to our cabin for the week.
A few days later, we headed onto Casey, a small town known for big things (seriously, that’s they’re schtick). We walked the majority of the town, enjoyed some of the World’s Largest things, and got disappointed by others before heading to Richard’s Farm for lunch. The three siblings were sad to learn the World’s Largest Teetertotter only functions a few hours out of the week, and not when we were around, but I think we all agreed that the large pizza cutter we came across was the most disappointing moment of the trip. I fully believe if my 6’3” brother is bigger than you, then you shouldn’t be considered a “big” thing in a town that makes its revenue that way.
The rest of our trip was spent in and around the cabin. There was a terrifying experience in a canoe (just days after feeling comfortable in a kayak); a lot of ridiculous antics in the pool, and hours and hours of games. Of course, my favorite part was probably porch sitting, which got more difficult throughout the week as the rain continued. Unfortunately, my plan to hike that week didn’t end up working out too well. I made it about a quarter of the way around the lake our last full day there before realizing I didn’t have the gear or the time to continue (because I wouldn’t put wet gear in the car for the whole drive back). Still, I did learn some things and am working on some updates on my full pack, which I now have.
All-in-all, it was a relatively successful trip, and I was proud of myself for actually treating it like a vacation (because I’m really bad about disconnecting from work).
Raven K 