Some people like travelling and some do not.

And some people like travelling luxuriously and others like to travel on the cheap.

Everyone is individual, with different tastes and desires.
This has never become more obvious to me other than when I have analysed my own family members.
None of us is similar to one another. (I maybe have my dad’s eyes, that’s about it.)

My mother is a social butterfly, that loves to do things on a whim.  My father prefers his own company and is a creature of habit.  My Nan (rest in peace) carried on as if she was the Queen of England.  And my siblings? Well, we’re all a bit mad here.

With two brothers and two sisters (not all related) through divorce and re-partnerships with a varied age range, and even more varied interests, it was impossible to imagine travelling with any one of them!

I never thought it would happen, however… over last year my little sister managed to save up enough cash to fly all the way over to Australia! Go her!
We went to Fraser Island together, travelled down a large part of the East Coast together (Brisbane to Sydney) and spent two weeks in the same car!
It’s a miracle no-one was hurt!

There were a lot of ups and downs and we learnt a lot about each other and I’m sure she learnt a lot about herself too.  Either way, I hope she enjoyed herself.

She is back in the UK now and it’s her birthday today; HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Looking back I did everything I could to facilitate her trip without babying her but I learnt a few valuable lessons about travelling with family.

Set Groundrules & Boundaries

I don’t mean for that to sound super strict or anything, I just mean that having a chat about what you both want to do (and don’t want to do) is essential, plus what your comfort levels are with certain situations.
For example, if we went out and everyone agreed to be back at a certain time, try stick to it or at least let the other person know. Just because it’s family doesn’t mean you get away with being discourteous. There is nothing to rebel against here. The other person is worried about you, not trying to control you. They’d be just as concerned (and pissed off) if it was a friend that wandered off.

Don’t be Offended by Differences or Afraid to Do your Own Thing

Equally said, try not to get hurt if the other person is not interested in what you want to do, come to a compromise or agree to do your own thing. I know not everyone is interested in seeing art galleries the same way I’m not interested in skydiving!

Agree to Disagree

There’s no excuse for rudeness here, just because you’re related doesn’t mean that person won’t cut you out of their life. Just like you would a friend that rubbed you up the wrong way.  You are in charge of who you give your time too. If you want to maintain a relationship with that person then both of them have to realise that each other has different views, opinions, wants and needs, but you don’t have to shout about them. It takes skill to put a point across without losing your temper, but it’s worth doing.

Money

Family and money do not mix. I have been told this many times and never heeded the warnings.  It’s a tricky one because money obviously isn’t as important as family but it does make the world go round.  Try to limit these ‘transactions’ and keep your cool when it goes wrong.

Kiss & Make Up

In regards to the last point, here is where my apology comes in. Things did go a little squiffy with money and I did not keep my cool. I should have done. What happened was in actual fact not her fault and I am sorry I over-reacted.  We both should have handled it better but when you receive a massive bill for toll fines through the post in the middle of the outback when you’re about to sell your car and leave the country, cortisol levels hit the roof!

 

Nevertheless, I believe it’s important to maintain relationships with siblings and it’s not like we haven’t all made mistakes.

It hasn’t made me miss her any less or be any less proud of her for actually making it all the way over to this side of the planet!
Whatever she is up to now I hope she’s happy, having a great day and as always taking care of herself. Okay, big sister mode is switching off now!

P.s Happy Birthday!

P.p.s I will be going back to only posting once a week instead of two whilst I learn how to re-vamp my site!