How Do People With Kids Even Go On Vacation?

Oh boy, do I not want children after this.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

So, it’s my last official day in Finland today before going back to my South American home. What’s waiting for me today is a 27-kilometer (16,8-mile) bike trip with my mom, back from the cabin in the woods where we’ve been at with my family since Monday.

It’s been relaxing… and yet, I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. The reason? Kids.

I have a 5-year-old nephew who’s the cutest kid in the world. He’s funny and incredibly smart. He has an incredible imagination, and he uses words like “abstract” and “compromise” correctly. There’s never a dull moment when you’re listening to him.

But boy, is he tiring. He’s full of energy all day, and it’s impossible to keep up. And at the cabin, there are two other kids, too. It’s a lot of running around, a lot of screaming, and a whole lot of laughs. We also had an epic water balloon battle.

It’s great. But there’s also a lot of bickering, fighting and complaining, about everything.

For the last three and a half years, I’ve been getting to know my nephew through the highlights: the funny comments and pictures and the incredibly cute face. I never got to see the real thing before.