You can tell by the title exactly what I mean. Your WHOLE family rents a beach house together for a week - or perhaps it's even your significant other's family renting the house (as is the case for me). I've learned a few things over the years to make these types of trips a little easier.
1. Don't Be Afraid to Break Off from the Group
While it is a family vacation and it's important to socialize and spend time with loved ones, I think it's important to get some time to recharge if you need to! Break off from the group and go for a walk on the beach, set up camp and read a book, go take a nap. Don't feel obligated to spend every waking moment in the company of others - especially if you are introverted! Introverts tend to need alone time to recharge. You'll have a better time overall if you just take some time for yourself. It's your vacation, too!
2. Split the Food Work
Typically in large family gatherings, there will be at least a half a dozen adults if not more. So split the work! Everyone needs to eat, but I think it's unfair to expect the organizer to do all the work. Instead, maybe each family can cook one of two meals, and you are on your own for breakfast and lunch. Or maybe each family cooks their own meal - that sort of thing. This takes off a lot of pressure and makes the trip far more enjoyable.
3. Have Designated Family-Bonding Activities (Just not too many!)
It is often easier to interact with family members you may not see as much if there is a designated family activity - like beach darts, corn hole, card games, puzzles, board games etc. You make it geared toward kids, families or adults - whatever works for your family! Just get creative! Also, I personally love having a table with a puzzle going the whole week. Anyone who wants to work on it can stop by and socialize and have fun. Having a specific time and place to socialize can help ease the stress of "Am I socializing enough? Can I go read now? Is it rude to sit on the beach alone for a bit? Have I talked to enough people? " etc.
Just remember, even if family drives you nuts sometimes, at the end of the day, they are family. If drama starts up, just take a break and get some alone time! It's supposed to be a fun, family vacation - not a week of stress!
Fortunately, my family gets along pretty well so I am counting down the days till our own (HUGE) family beach trip.
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