Places to Go (Vacation) - Our Own (Happier) "Big Chill" at a Cabin in Vermont (South Hero, VT)

A few weeks ago, of one of Dan's best college friends tied the knot outside Burlington, Vermont. Rather than just stay for the ceremony, we decided to take the kids and make a vacation out of it, along with some of Dan's other college friends.

After a huge get together of Case Western alums, circa 1997, my friend Colleen said to me, "well, I guess this is my own big chill. Luckily it's a wedding and not a funeral."

I looked at her in horror. The Big Chill came out in 1983, when I was 7. I remember it as a movie about old people. Old boring people with uninteresting lives reminiscing all the time. Even at age 38, I refused to believe that this motion picture could have anything, as in ANYTHING, in common with me.

So we watched the movie. And, though particular dates are never referenced, all appearances lead to the conclusion that I am now older than the film's characters. Also, turns out that they don't have boring lives, rather they all seem moderately rich (why is everyone in movies always so haplessly wealthy as if money, like a cold, is just something one "catches"?) with glamorous jobs - a journalist, a radio talk show host, a TV star . . . They're even Michigan grads (go big blue!).

And the movie itself isn't even that boring (though it is quite random, just for the record, I am NEVER going to ask my husband to impregnate our mutual friend, call me a prude all you want). Apparently your viewpoint changes when you watch an "adult" movie as an "adult".

So I guess this was my "big chill" week, though that sounds false as I didn't actually go to college with these people (was I the Richard? Hopefully I am nothing like Richard). But despite learning that I am, by my very own definition, now an old person - we had a fantastic time. The kids all bonded, while the adults lounged and drank and played Cards Against Humanity.

Seriously, a wonderful week, turns middle age is sort of awesome.



Oh, the sunsets. Wow.



Sometimes it rains in Vermont. Apparently rain will not keep children from a kayak.



Badminton quickly morphed into the exciting game of "throw the ball over the net". The boys played for hours.



Coco made some new friends. But mostly just slept.



Want to make children happy? Buy them an island.



F likes to display her political activist side while playing Sorry (for explanation on the t-shirt, watch Blackfish for family movie night, then I (almost) guarantee that your children will want to wear one too).



An awesome kid turned 5.



But mostly importantly, did I mention the sunsets??