放春假 Spring Break

Every year, around Easter time, schools will be let out a week to 10 days so the kids can enjoy their Spring Break. To me, Spring Break means that we only have 2 months of school left before summer break begins. Younger kids depend on their parents for their Spring Break vacation, but older kids (college and older) plan their own Spring Break vacations. In some areas of the United States and Canada, snow doesn't fully melt until end of April, so Spring Break is an excuse for these winter birds to travel south for sunshine and warmer temperature. But what about those of us who live in the sunny (and warmer) states? Well, we go to colder places for some spring skiing.

Of course, the travel industry is fully aware of the spring break dates, so it's hard to find travel bargains for spring break. If I have my way, I would go on a cruise, but my husband can't take a full week off from work in April, so I have to find alternative spring break plans for my family. The criteria for our spring break travel are as follows:

1) Limited to car travel. Plane fares for 4 people cost too much if the vacation is a short one.
2) Limited to Friday to Sunday.
3) Must be fun for the husband.
4) Look for conference opportunities (at least the hotel will be free).

It's not that we HAVE to go somewhere for spring break, but the kids talk about where they go for spring break when they go back to school, so I always find somewhere interesting to take them. It doesn't have to be an expensive trip as long as it gives my kids the bragging rights before and after their spring break.

在美國, 春假是一個重要的假期。雖然上班族不放春假, 但是全國的每所學校都會放一星期到兩星期不等的春假。春假的放假日期、時間的長短,都由各個學校、學區做決定, 所以大家放春假的日期都不太一樣。通常春假可以從三月底開始放,放到最晚四月中旬左右結束。今年我們小孩的春假是從四月三日下午開始放假,一直放到四月十三日才再開學。照道理講很多家長都還是要上班,所以小孩放春假也是件頭痛的事情。當然是可以把小孩送去 spring camp, 但是有更多的家長乾脆請假帶小孩出去玩。我想大部份的家長還是沒有那麼多假可以請,只有另想辦法。

我們是一定會帶小朋友出去玩的,可是因為老公要上班, 我只能找一些比較近的地方,利用星期五到星期日的時間去玩。那其它四天呢(星期一至星期四)? 我會帶小孩出去吃中飯, 去一些我老公不喜歡去的餐廳,像 Souplantation, TGI Friday 及麥當勞。我還會帶他們去 Chuck E Cheese's。我的小孩很喜歡去那裏玩,去年我兒子的生日派對還是在那裏辦的。如果還有時間, 我會帶他們到附近的mall (購物中心) 和 Target 去逛逛。雖然我超級討厭帶小孩去逛街, 因為他們會(尤其是我那小的)要求買東買西。那時候我就要一直說 “NO”, 因為小孩子根本就不需要更多的玩具,那是永無止盡的慾望, 永遠無法滿足的慾望。反正可以順便機會教育, 需要讓小孩子知道就算有錢也不能看到什麼就買什麼。我常常告訴我的小孩, 省錢也是生財方法之一。

講到省錢, 因為現在的景氣不如從前, 就算要出去玩, 也要看看有沒有這項預算。我在計畫春假的旅遊時, 我有幾個原則:

1) 去開車就能到的地方。因為春假比較短,花錢坐飛機去玩就比較划不來。一家四口的飛機票價也是一筆可觀的開銷。
2) 盡量利用星期五到星期日的時間去玩,因為老公要上班, 請假不方便。
3) 一定要去老公也覺得好玩的地方。
4) 看看有沒有參加外地會議開會的機會 (至少旅館就不用錢)。

今年我老公要去聖地牙哥(San Diego) 開會, 全家準備跟他一起去玩。雖然小孩子星期五下午才開始放春假, 我們星期四下午就要出發, 開2.5 小時的車到聖地牙哥。