(None of these are listed in any particular order of importance.)
1) How insanely I will miss my dear Grobiens, my Emmaus family, and my good friends while in Canada.
2) Rivers can be VERY cold, particularly when your brother dumps you into them when you're trying to stay dry.
3) There is no relationship as important in a teenager girl's life as a good dad. I've see first hand the effects that no good father has on a girl, and vacation made it more clear to me. A girl without a father does not know what to look for in a husband/boyfriend. She does not know how to properly interact with boys and she has no one to protect from a male pursuer. As a result, she fails prey to those who would use her for their own pleasure and she fails prey to letting herself be use.
4) In connection with the last realization, I am thankful for my joking, amazing, father who trusts that his sixteen year old girl trusts him and who gives me my freedom and friendships.
5) Swimmers itch seems to find me everywhere I go. I can not escape from it! (Only miserable part of vacation)
6) Luke is prepared for everything under the sun during vacation. I can't remember how many times one of us said "We should have brought this", and Luke pipes up "Oh, I remember to bring that!" or "Would this work instead?".
7) Drinking water is a friend not a foe. I almost got heat stroke. (However, it did give my brothers a long conversation of what they were going to do if Anna suddenly passed out. They argued for about 10 minutes over whether or not they should first call 911 or cool down my pressure points [which is what one does to help heat stroke])
8) Long boat rides are monotonous, causing seasickness after c. 15 minutes of staring at the water.
9) Your hands swell if you swing them while you walk.
10) Hot showers are not valued until you haven't had one for a week.
11) My family is the one of the few families I know who goes to church during vacation.
12) Vacation isn't the same when one of the family isn't there. It didn't feel like vacation after we dropped Matt off at SAR (Search and Rescue).
13) Following up the previous, it was strange for me to watch my little brother turn into a soldier. When he get into his uniform, he becomes serious and almost emotionless. The place where SAR is taking place this year is an actual and active Air Force/National Guard military base. As soon as he gets out of the vehicle, he starts getting yelled at by a commanding officer to get moving and hop to it. He, his gear, and all his food, went through the process of inspection which took about an hour. I mostly sat in the car for that hour watching people. It was interesting to watch the orders given, the orders carried out, and the rebukes/comments followed if it is not done well, fast, and exactly to the letter. I watched the cadets come and I watched the parents go. It touched my heart to see the goodbyes. There is one I'll never forget. A male cadet, maybe about fifteen to sixteen years old, run up to his father sitting in a truck(or at least I assume it was) to ask for something. His father hands him the item, and he begins to run back around the truck. Suddenly, as if he suddenly remembers something, he runs back, jumps up, and through the window of the truck gives his dad a big man hug. I blinked back tears. After about an hour, I went over to the rest of my family who was watching Matt who was standing with seven other cadets. They waiting to receive orders and commands. Somehow, it stuck me then that my little brother, my pal, had grow up and someday he might join the military and I might never see him again.
14) A Goldendoodle (A Golden Retriever/Poodle) puppy is very hyper and loves to lick you and get you all doggy smelling.
15) One can fit 37 small braids in about 2/3 of my hair.
16) Flipping a small sail boat is fun and turtling a small sail boat is even more fun.
17) There is nothing compared to coming home.
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