Almost There: The Family Vacation, Then and Now: A Memoir

by Curtis Gillespie

We all have memories of family vacations: the cross-country marathon drive, the camping trip, a couple lazy weeks at the lake, a helter-skelter month in Europe, four days in Disneyland. The variations may be endless, but the common denominator is that there are always stories to tell.

The family vacation, with all its funny, sad, relaxing,
stressful, frustrating, and exhilarating moments, shapes us, and helps us create an understanding of who we are and of those we travel with. In his humourous new book, Almost There, award-winning writer Curtis Gillespie explores the meaning of our family vacations, the memories created by them, and how we use these memories to define our relationship with our families and ourselves.

Using his own history of family vacations as a backdrop, Gillespie explores how the meaning and symbolism of the family vacation has shifted throughout the decades. For years, families drove across the country or relaxed at a lakeside cottage. Now even the middle-class travel with their nannies or go on a Disney cruise…or take their nannies with themon a
Disney cruise. As he sifts through memories and explores family vacation history, Gillespie ultimately discovers that not only is how we choose to vacation an expression of who we are as individual families, but that the very nature of the family vacation reflects, and sometimes even predicts, societal
change.

The family vacation is something we all share; the laughter, the tears, the moments, the memories. In Almost There, Curtis Gillespie reminds us how important these moments in our lives are, and how important they will continue to be.

Genres: Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2012

Reviews

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars for this one. I think my expectations got in the way of enjoying this book more. As a memoir of Curtis Gillespie's family vacations over the years, it was funny and evoked a ton of memories of my own family vacations. But as a survey of how family vacations have changed over the years, it was a bit thin. On the plus side, he mentioned numerous sources that I have either read and enjoyed or that I want to read right away. On the down side, there's no bibliography, so you have to note the books down as he mentions them or dogear the pages for later reference.

The book starts out with a bang as Gillespie recalls his Canadian family's first long-distance road trip in the 1970s, from Edmonton to Mexico City and back. The family of eight was barely an hour away from home when the first of many assorted minor emergencies took place. Explosions, egestions, eruptions, you name it. His knack for holiday drama seemed to intensify with adulthood and a family of his own. From time to time he strays from the vacation theme, such as when he tells stories of his gruff and liverish grandfather, but the stories are good, so what the heck.

It's a fun, if bumpy ride.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curtis Gillespie shares some poignant memories of his family and past vacations as a child and then again, as an adult with his wife and daughters. He recounts these stories so beautifully and had me laughing out loud at times. I felt that I related well to the time and place of these events and then I realized that the author is the same age as I am. I'm not sure that I was completely feeling a good flow to the book, which I look for to draw me into each successive section or chapter. Otherwise, a very enjoyable and heart warming read.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at family vacations through the author's eyes. Also contains a lot of philosophical and historical information on family vacations- cruises, Disneyland, road trips etc. A quick and easy read. There's also some humour in here.

[Sarah Dickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

brought on a severe case of nostalgia! This is a book to be savoured.