Student Essay: The Best Vacation I Ever Had

The Best Vacation I Ever Had

There is a wondrous vision in my mind of my sister and me riding bicycles through a gentle breeze in the dusk of a summer day. In that vision there is an elderly man on an old motorcycle ahead of us leading the way; it is our grandfather whom we see! When the three of us went out riding, grandpa would be there to slow us down or stop to wait for sister and me to catch up. Whether it was in or near his farmhouse or out and around central Taiwan, Grandpa is central to the unforgettable memory of the best summer vacations we ever had.

      It was after I finished fifth grade that my sister and I spent half of our summer vacation in a small town in Chang-Hua County with our grandparents. I was asked by mom to keep an eye on my little sister. It was troublesome for me that summer, a boy with a carefree spirit, but staying at our grandparents’ place turned out to be a summer paradise. All morning long, we worked at the farm around the little farmhouse with Grandpa. Sometimes he would bring us for walks to chat with his neighbor farmers or play with their grandchildren as we chased each other around the ridges between the fields. Grandpa stood witness to our youthful folly as our childhood faded away in his wistful eyes.

      When it was time for lunch after a busy morning, Grandma was there to welcome us home with a tasty lunch she had been preparing all morning long. She was a great cook! Grandpa knew she would be there to reward us as she had fulfilled him for all their years together. After lunch, Grandpa would take his nap, and then the excitement would start all over again, this time in the backyard of the farmhouse. We flew our kites there or played on the swings. Grandpa was the cheerleader in our competitions, but we couldn’t tell whose side he was on! He was almost as excited as we were.

      When there was time, we got on a bus and travelled out into the surrounding vicinity of Central Taiwan. We played hide-and-seek around a temple not too far away. The corridors and marble pillars were the obstacles that my sister liked to hide behind.

She would be satisfied when I pretended not to find her and Grandpa stood by silently smiling from ear to ear. He brought us on excursions to see the pretty flowers inTien-Wei, enjoy oyster omelets at Wong-Gong, or on short hikes in Ba-Gua Mountain. For us it was not only fun, but a chance to learn about Taiwan.

      Grandpa was not weak in those sunny summer days; he was strong and willing to go out with his naughty grandchildren. We knew he enjoyed watching us being ourselves. Grandpa gave us such deep love and the best vacations we ever had. Several months after that summer had gone, while back in school, we learned that Grandpa had become ill. He passed away within the year. The best summer we had ever had became the sweetest memory we would cherish forevermore.

Edited by D.B.T.