Lessons are learned while on vacation

I just back from vacation and before I stop to take a breath, I want to share what I learned along the way.

First, take a good look around, if you are leaving teenagers behind, your home is definitely going to look different when you return.

Pack lightly or take plenty of IBuprofen along for the back/shoulder pain you are certain to develop if you don't. (You'll just end up wearing your new souvenir t-shirts you buy on the trip anyway.)

Don't bother counting how many bathroom stops your children have to make on the way to the airport. Numbers as we know them don't reach that high.

Remember, no mater how much bubblegum you pop, your ears will pop on the plane.

If you're going to the Tropics, be sure and take a fur coat. Every motel, every restaurant, every shop, will have the air conditioner turned to zero degrees. Your teeth will chatter so much, you'll soon know more about the local dentists than about the museums.

If you go to a foreign country, carry a heart full of thankfulness that your were American born.

Be aware that you can never take too many pictures. Buy lots of film. Take pictures of yourself taking pictures. You'll be amazed at the way your family will have changed by the time the next vacation rolls around.

Most important of all: You could travel all over and experience the wonders of the world, the breathtaking sunsets, the mountain ranges, but never find anything as beautiful as your mother's face.