Yesterday I got a call from a family that has been vacationing at Wildwood for many years. She was calling to let us know that they wouldn’t be able to come to Wildwood this year. As she was relating to me the reasons for their cancellation I could hear the regret and sadness in her voice because their kids love coming here and they have made great memories during their Wildwood family vacations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a similar conversation over the years. The common denominator in all those cancellation conversations is the regret our guests feel at not coming back. I’d love to believe that regret stems from the thought of not seeing us but I know that it is something much deeper.
Getting ready to go on vacation can be a huge stressor. And coming home from vacation is too painful to even talk about. But those days in between are the sweet ones, aren’t they? Real life is suspended and schedules become fluid. For us family vacation days are mostly about what the girls want to do and they bask in the light of our attention. They are grateful for those breaks in reality and express their gratitude openly. Jay and I listen to them talk and hear them more clearly without the day-to-day distractions that often pull our attention away. We rest and regroup and come home refreshed in spite of the pain of re-entering the real world. Most of all we remember the time spent together and those memories re-enforce the ties that bind.
We see the same thing happening with the families that spend their family vacations at Wildwood. They may arrive a little stressed (“Are we there yet?!?”) but there is also an underlying excitement. They arrive looking forward to those sweet days between arrival and departure where they can rest and really focus on each other. Rules that govern everyday life can be relaxed here and time spent together takes on a rosy glow in memory. The most magical thing about family vacations is also the most simple: it’s the time you spend together. Vacation doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive – and it certainly doesn’t have to be at Wildwood Resort. But it does have to be made a priority. Have you made plans for some family time this summer? If not, why don’t you do that today!
Even though our days are still a little on the cool side we can FEEL summer just around the corner. The sun is warm on our faces and the lake ice is very dark. Our next-door eagles are busy in the nest and my crew has gotten 1 1/2 cabins spring cleaned already. Minnesota Fishing Opener is just 5 weeks away so I think we can definitely say that we survived winter! We still have prime summer weeks open so we would love for you to consider a stay with us this year.
Happy Spring!
Kim & Jay
