I’ve done it again! I need therapy!

[Linda Yoder]

After every European trip that I have taken our whole family on (12 of us!) I swear I’m never going to do it again! I think I’ve made a couple of you promise to remind me of that. But here I am again planning our 40th anniversary and ordering 12 tickets to Greece! After ordering the tickets, paying for a villa, and telling everyone...it hit me! What in the H_ _ _ am I doing? Oh my..too late now. Please tell me this is going to be fun? With all the money we are spending we could have gone around the world! I’m not sure if I am a glutten for punishment or just really love spending time and making memories with my family.

 

[PatrickLondon]

Take a deep breath and ask yourself why it might not be fun, and is there anything you can do to reduce that bit of it so you can focus on what you want to get out of it.

I'm taking a wild guess (and I hope it isn't assuming too much) that the most important thing you'll have to keep telling yourself is that you are not responsible for making sure grown-ups and near grown-ups have fun: that's up to them.

If it were me, with such a large group, it's inevitable that different people will be off doing different things: having some fixed point for a meal or drinks together gets to be more fun if people have different things to tell each other about. I'd just point them in the direction of a good guidebook, suggest some arrangement that suggests everyone does their share of shopping and cooking, either for themselves, or for bring-a-dish dinners, or some combination, and leave it at that.

 

[Pauline]

I've never traveled with a large group like this but one upside must be that you can rent a fabulous large villa! Patrick's advice is great. I am sure it will be fun - but you must make it so everything does not fall on you. You want to have a good time too! You could have a few meals cooked by a private chef in your villa!

Where in Greece are you going?

 

[Cameron]

What an amazing, generous gift for your family! I hope they appreciate this once-in-a-lifetime experience you're making available to them.

As others have said, it's up to the individuals to have fun. That part is not on you.

Breathe!

 

[Fletch]

I'm having enough trouble getting 9 of us to Paris and Provence to celebrate my 70th birthday.
Every now and then it crosses my mind that I should have planned something much closer to home, it would be much easier ( and cheaper), but the memories wouldn't be the same.

 

[DannyG]

i am 36 and ithought this post is related to me , that (reallly) old is great! Fair play

 

[italian excursion]

Here's some advice from a therapist: Relax & enjoy! You are making memories with your family that are priceless!!!