Has the family you babysit for ever offered to take you on a vacation with them? Mine did. It was the best experience I’ve ever had, and if anyone ever is given an offer like this… take it!
I’ve been watching the same family friend’s three kids for the past four or five years, and this weekend I had the opportunity to trade out a long weekend vacay in Orlando, Florida. From the flight to the food and to the water park resort, this trip was a blessing.
Staying at the Wyndham Reunion Resort in Kissimmee was beautiful scenery. While on this trip I enjoyed three full fledged days at the resort with a variety of pools, water slides and a relaxing lazy river. The children were ecstatic to see me when I first arrived and barely left my side – in a fun and adorable way. They jumped up and down and talked my ear off, but it was amazing to see the happiness across their face.
The parents were so generous and fed me with food that blew dining hall food, my usual diet, out of the water. From fancy Italian to perfectly grilled burgers and delicious milkshakes and smoothies, I was in paradise. After dinner time, I would watch the kids as a trade out for this vacation. Trust me, this was worth it, and the parents loved having a few hours of adult nights out.
Again, this was amazing. From taking a trip down memory lane with classic childhood movies to watching The Secret Life of Pets I still got plenty of rest and relaxation before the kids went to bed. One night we went to the roof of the eleven floor hotel to watch the Disney World fireworks. If you want an amazing atmosphere to swim, eat and enjoy live music that was the spot.
Overall, the experience was more than worth it! I enjoyed an entire vacation in return for a few hours of watching the children that feel like family at this point in my life. I’m beyond blessed to have enjoyed such a wonderful vacation… and I discovered my new love for flying by myself. Not only was this an amazing escape weekend, but I learned a lot about being independent and being responsible for children in a real life experience. It was more than staying at their house and playing checkers and watching a Disney movie before bed.
But don’t kid yourself… it wouldn’t be a classic family vacation if I didn’t end up with one child coming down with strep and puking all over. Fingers crossed no one else gets sick now, but even if I did I wouldn’t trade this weekend. Really such an amazing experience, and I got some amazing Instagram photos out of this – which is always a perk.
(Photo courtesy of Tori Pishkula)