daily journal 3-29-11

Last week was the end of spring break as I know it, but it was a great finale.  Every year I go to Naples, FL to visit my grandparents.  My mom usually plans a side trip as well, but this year my sister and I insisted on staying at the same resort all week to just relax. We went to the beach almost every day, and I loved feeling the heat of the sun on my body after such a long winter, and hearing the waves of the gulf splash on to the shore.  One of my favorite parts of the trip was probably getting to lay on the front of my grandpa's yacht as he streamed through the Gulf, it was so beautiful.  Another part of going to Florida that I look forward to is just seeing my Grandpa Tom and Grandma Evie, because they are the real reason that we travel that far year after year.  I only see my Grandpa about 3 times a year, so it was awkward to see him when I was younger.  Within the last few years, however, we have gotten so much closer and I think we both have a great understanding of eachother.  My grandpa is probably one of the most generous people I know; he is so giving, and I can't even find the words to express how grateful I am.  Without him, my family would have no reason to travel south for spring break- so I can honestly say I don't think I would have had such amazing and memorable vacations every single year.  Also, I would never have experienced what it's like to be up north at a cabin unless he had invited us every summer.  My two favorite places in the world are Florida and the cabin, and neither of these places would have been possible for me to fall so in love with if my grandpa hadn't been around.  He is also so hilarious and sarcastic.  Half the time he says completely inappropriate things around me and my younger sister, but it is so funny because he doesn't really have a filter and can't understand why it's not really okay to swear in front of us and our younger cousins.  I could go on for days about how much I love my grandpa and enjoyed my spring break, but I can sum it up by saying it was a great end to a family tradition :)