1. Squeezing the Entire Family Into a Minivan (Whether It Was Comfortable or Not)
Family vacations in the ‘90s meant piling into a minivan with more people than seat belts and way too much luggage. If you were lucky, your parents had a Dodge Caravan with those sliding doors that were impossible to open from the inside. Every available space was packed—suitcases, plastic bags full of snacks, random pillows, and at least one rice cooker because your parents refused to eat fast food for a week straight. If you had siblings, you fought over who got the window seat and who had to suffer in the middle. Someone always got stuck next to the cooler, which was filled with sandwiches, fruit, and a mysterious Tupperware container your mom insisted would “come in handy.” Air conditioning was never guaranteed, and if it was, your dad would ration it like it was liquid gold. The trip hadn’t even started, and your mom was already yelling, “No fighting!” as if that was going to happen says The Week.
The second the car pulled out of the driveway, your dad became a human GPS, convinced he knew the way without a map. Meanwhile, your mom clutched an actual paper map, flipping it around and trying to figure out why north kept changing directions. The trip always took longer than expected because your dad refused to stop unless it was a “real emergency.” Gas stations were not real emergencies, and neither was someone needing the bathroom. Instead, you became an expert at holding it in and hoping for the best. The soundtrack for the drive was a mix of cassette tapes featuring your parents’ favorite singers from the ‘70s and whatever pop songs made it onto the radio. The only thing that could break up the monotony was a random roadside attraction, but your parents never stopped for those. “Why waste money on something we can see from the car?” was their logic explains Southern Living.
2. Bringing Your Own Food Everywhere to Avoid Spending Money
Eating at restaurants was a luxury your parents weren’t willing to splurge on when they could just pack homemade meals. Breakfast was whatever they had thrown into the cooler the night before—boiled eggs, leftover rice, maybe a sandwich if you were lucky. By lunchtime, your parents were pulling into a rest area, and out came the entire picnic spread. There was always a giant thermos of tea or coffee, and the meal usually involved rice, something wrapped in foil, and an excessive amount of napkins your mom had collected from fast food places over the years. If your family was extra prepared, there was even a small camping stove because your parents refused to eat cold food, no matter where you were explains The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, you sat there, watching other kids enjoy their McDonald’s Happy Meals while you picked at a piece of chicken your mom had marinated for 48 hours. If you ever asked for fast food, the answer was always the same: “We have food at home,” even though you were literally not at home. Snacks were also carefully curated—there were no chips or candy, just dried fruit, nuts, and whatever was left from last night’s dinner. By the time dinner rolled around, your parents might allow one meal out, but only at a buffet where they could “get their money’s worth.” And if there were free refills? Even better says Travel + Leisure.
3. Visiting Family Instead of Going to a Real Vacation Destination
While other kids were heading to Disneyland, your vacations meant traveling to visit relatives you barely remembered. It didn’t matter if they lived in the middle of nowhere with nothing fun to do—the point was “family is important.” The trip always started with your parents lecturing you on how to be polite, followed by a long car ride to someone’s house that smelled vaguely of spices and incense. The moment you arrived, you were forced to hug aunts, uncles, and cousins whose names you had to guess based on context clues. Within minutes, someone was commenting on how much you had grown, followed by a barrage of personal questions about school and your future career says Reader’s Digest.
There was never an actual plan for fun—just sitting around while the adults talked for hours. The highlight of the trip was when your cousins showed you their outdated toys or took you to a nearby park with broken swings. Meals were endless, with your relatives insisting you eat more even when you were full. Sleeping arrangements were always a nightmare, with way too many people crammed into one room, and somehow, you always ended up on the floor. The trip ended with your parents promising to visit again next year, even though you secretly wished for a real vacation instead.
4. Being Forced to Take a Million Photos in Front of Random Landmarks
Before social media, your parents still found ways to document every second of a trip. The camera of choice was a bulky film camera, and every landmark—no matter how unimportant—was an opportunity for a photo. It didn’t matter if you were sweaty, grumpy, or mid-bite into a sandwich; your parents made you pose anyway. If you protested, they hit you with, “You’ll appreciate these one day!” which never felt true at the moment. The worst part was when strangers had to be recruited to take family photos, leading to awkward conversations and blurry pictures.
Your parents always wanted the perfect shot, which meant retaking the same picture five times while blocking traffic. If there was a famous statue, you had to stand directly in front of it, ruining the view entirely. Vacations weren’t about experiences—they were about proof that you went somewhere. Years later, you’d find old albums filled with these forced smiles and weird poses, wondering why you looked so miserable. It was because deep down, you just wanted to get back in the car and be done with it.
5. Bargaining at Every Souvenir Shop Like It Was a Street Market
Your parents refused to pay full price for anything, even in places where haggling wasn’t a thing. If you ever asked for a souvenir, they would inspect it like they were making a life-altering decision. “We can get this cheaper somewhere else,” they’d say, even if there was nowhere else to go. If they did agree to buy something, negotiations began immediately. “Is there a discount?” was their go-to phrase, much to your embarrassment.
You knew better than to fall in love with anything expensive because your parents would shut it down instantly. Instead, you ended up with the cheapest, most practical thing—like a keychain or a magnet. If you were lucky, you got a T-shirt, but only if your parents thought it was “a good deal.” At some point, you gave up and just accepted that vacations weren’t about buying things, they were about surviving them.
6. Staying in Budget Motels With Questionable Cleanliness
Forget fancy hotels—your parents picked the cheapest, most basic motels available. If it had a free breakfast, even better. The rooms were always tiny, with outdated decor and a weird smell no one could identify. You had to share a bed with at least one sibling, and the bathroom was so small that getting ready was a challenge. If there was a pool, it was usually closed for maintenance, much to your disappointment.
The worst part was when your parents made you check for bedbugs because they had seen a news report once. Air conditioning was a gamble, and if it was broken, you just had to deal with it. Meanwhile, your parents acted like the motel was perfectly fine, even though it clearly wasn’t. You secretly wished for a real hotel experience, but deep down, you knew that wasn’t happening anytime soon.
7. Turning Long Road Trips Into a Crash Course in Your Parents’ Music and Stories
No road trip was complete without your parents forcing you to listen to their music, which was always decades older than anything you liked. Whether it was classic rock, Bollywood soundtracks, or old-school ballads from their home country, you had no choice but to endure it. If you dared to complain, they’d give you a long speech about how “music today has no soul” and how “back in our day, artists had real talent.” Occasionally, they’d start singing along, completely off-key, while you stared out the window, wondering if it was too late to walk home.
In between songs, your parents used the drive as an opportunity to tell stories about their childhoods—stories you had heard at least 20 times before. “When I was your age, we didn’t even have cars!” or “We had to walk miles just to get water!” were common themes. If they were in a nostalgic mood, they’d go on and on about how much harder life was back then, implying that you were too soft. You tried to zone out, but they always caught you and asked, “Are you even listening?” The only escape was falling asleep, but even that wasn’t guaranteed because your siblings were probably kicking your seat.
8. Stopping at Every Random Ethnic Grocery Store Like It Was an Attraction
Your parents could never resist stopping at an ethnic grocery store, even if it meant going miles off course. “We can’t find this back home!” they’d say as they excitedly walked in, ready to buy things they could have probably found at your local store. What was supposed to be a quick stop always turned into a full-blown shopping trip, with your parents filling the cart with spices, snacks, and weirdly shaped vegetables you didn’t recognize. They always ran into someone who spoke their language, leading to a long conversation while you stood there, bored out of your mind.
You knew better than to ask when you were leaving because the answer was always “just five more minutes,” which meant at least 30. The cashier would give your parents a knowing smile, like they had seen this scenario a million times before. By the time you got back to the car, you were surrounded by bags of food that smelled strong enough to linger for the rest of the trip. Your parents would act like they had just won the lottery, talking about all the amazing meals they were going to cook. Meanwhile, all you wanted was to actually get to your destination before it got dark.
9. Carrying Around a Plastic Bag of Essentials Like It Was a Survival Kit
Your parents never traveled without a plastic bag filled with “just in case” items that somehow ended up being your responsibility to carry. Inside, there was always a mix of snacks, medicine, napkins, hand sanitizer, and a mysterious container of homemade food that had leaked at least once. If you ever needed something random—tissues, a safety pin, or even a sewing kit—your mom magically had it in the bag. You never understood why she packed so much, but whenever you asked, she’d just say, “You never know!”
The bag got heavier as the trip went on, especially as your parents stuffed it with things they picked up along the way. By the end of the trip, it smelled like a combination of fruit, lotion, and whatever food had spilled inside. You tried to hand it off to your siblings, but they always found a way to make it your job. Years later, you’d find yourself packing a similar bag for trips, realizing that somehow, despite all your complaints, you had inherited the habit.
10. Making You Write Letters or Postcards to Relatives Instead of Just Enjoying the Trip
Before texting was a thing, your parents insisted on keeping in touch the old-fashioned way—by making you write letters or postcards to relatives. They acted like it was your responsibility to update the entire extended family on your trip, even though you barely had anything to say. “Tell them we are having a wonderful time!” they’d say, even if you had been stuck in a motel room for two days because of bad weather. You’d sit there, staring at the blank postcard, trying to come up with something interesting while your parents hovered over you.
If you didn’t write neatly enough, your mom made you rewrite it because “this is a reflection of our family!” The worst part was that half the people you were writing to weren’t even that close—just distant relatives your parents felt obligated to stay in touch with. Once you finally finished, they’d march you to the nearest post office to mail it, acting like this was the most important task of the trip. By the time you got back home, the postcard had probably arrived at your relatives’ house, and they’d call to say how “sweet and thoughtful” you were. Meanwhile, you knew the truth—it was never your idea to send it in the first place.