So the Marr family went on a vacation.
That's right, over the February break, my kind parents took me and my sisters to the tropical paradise that is Hawaii.
What's more, they also organized the trip to include my four fabulous grandparents - my mom's parents, the Mores, and my dad's parents, the Marrs.
(I know it can get confusing. More and Marr are awfully similar names.)
We landed on Oahu, a stunning island with a pile of lovely beaches, lots of shopping and apparently, a lot of one-way streets.
These streets caused my father a great deal of stress as he attempted to navigate from our condo to various tourist attractions and restaurants. The Suburban our family rented came equipped with a very handy and efficient GPS system, but even that wasn't enough to drown out the cacophony of eight eager back-seat drivers.
Well, seven. Obviously I'm not included in this. I was stowed safely in the trunk, only piping up after I smashed my head into the back seat following a sudden stop on the freeway.
Oh, and that one time I noticed we drove past our turn at the airport. I swear, otherwise I was virtually silent.
Whenever we did reach our destination (and we almost always did!), our inability to communicate and operate together caused some difficulty. For example, Waikiki beach has a large shopping area called the International Marketplace. Basically, it's just 30 identical booths selling identical merchandise set up in a large square. It's a pretty cool experience, and I bought a bunch of tourist crap that I'll probably never use again ("How amazing is this 10-pound bottle opener in the shape of a coconut?!"). Unfortunately, though we all wanted to fill our pockets with over-priced souvenirs, we struggled to do so together. Much of our time was spent searching for one another among the over-eager salespeople, instead of working on our bartering skills. (Though I should mention that I talked a woman down an entire dollar on the tacky shirt I bought for my boyfriend. I expect he'll wear it lots.)
All-in-all, it was a fantastic trip. The sisters and I made a pact not to bicker and I feel it went exceptionally well. There were no cockroaches to be seen in either of the condos we stayed in. I barely got a sunburn and only went through one bottle of 30 SPF sunscreen.
And Dad came home with most of his sanity. I was a little concerned when he seemed a bit hysterical on the first flight out of Hawaii, but I'm confident that after a week or so, and maybe a few stiff drinks, he'll be back to normal.
Thanks Dad. It was a great trip. I can't wait until next time!
Tonaya Marr knows she's being cut off financially following convocation. She knows she won't be taken on any more tropical vacations. Ah well, it's been fun while it has lasted and she's more than spoiled. To reach Tonaya for more information regarding this or any other Marr family vacation, send her an e-mail at [email protected] or tweet her @TonayaMarr.
