Impressions
Vacation by Dr . Stephen T . Radack III , Editor
As we head into the dog days of another summer , I can ’ t help but hear the sound of the 80s girl group , The Go-Go ’ s , singing their top 10 hit “ Vacation .” It always seemed when we were in school we couldn ’ t wait for summer vacation to begin . Probably because we wouldn ’ t have to go back to school until September , and there would be many adventures to be had in those summer months ! I always remember the trips to my grandparents in Butler . It seemed to take forever to get there from Erie ( pre-interstate ), but we had the best times . Later , there were fishing trips to Canada with them . I recently saw some old pictures of those trips and was amazed at the desolate area we stayed in back then , but we all had smiles on our faces .
Like most kids , the dream vacation was to go to Walt Disney World . During the bicentennial year my mom decided to make that happen and drove me and my two brothers to Orlando . I am not sure how she made that happen , as we were now 15 , 13 and 9 . As excited as we were going to the actual Magic Kingdom ( which was the only Disney park open in Orlando at that time ), we loved our overnight stops on the road at the Days Inn hotels so we could swim in the pools . The simple pleasures in life !
Once I was out of dental school and life began to get very busy , I wondered if I should take the time off for a vacation . After all , most of us had a few coupon books full of years of loan payment coupons , and then the monthly payments on the loans for the office . Somehow a friend from dental school convinced Mary and I to join him and his lady in Miami for the ADA Annual Meeting in 1986 , only two months after starting practice ! Hey , it would be a business trip right ? We had a great time and also realized how important it was to take time away from the office and get a change of scenery . I was lucky Mary had a good job and money !
As the years have gone on we have always made time to vacation , mostly in the summer . For years we would go to Ocean City , Maryland , right after Labor Day both before and after our daughters were born . We actually got engaged there . Once the girls started school , we joined a few friends and went to Myrtle Beach . We did that for many summers right up until a few years ago when we finally realized it was better to stay in Erie for the best weather months rather than head south . We have also been lucky to travel to Honolulu , Philadelphia , Atlanta , Washington , DC , San Francisco , Chicago , San Antonino , New Orleans and Kansas City for ADA Annual Meetings . As many of you know , when you serve as a delegate or alternate in the House of Delegates or on the Annual Meeting Committee as I did , it is not exactly a vacation , but hey , you are getting away . I guess it is a volunteer working vacation !
Mary always wanted me to take time off and just stay home . I guess that ’ s what a “ staycation ” is . I never wanted to do that . I felt I needed to get out of town , away from the office , and completely unplug . If I was home I always felt I would either be checking in at the office or actually going in . Finding a colleague to cover the office always gave me the peace of mind to leave and not worry . What kind of vacation is it if your mind is at the office ?
As the world returns to normal and opens back up as the coronavirus pandemic wanes , more and more people are hitting the road both here and abroad . As I write this in early July , the other dentist in my office is off on vacation in Florida , one of our hygienists just got back from a cruise with her family , and my daughter and her husband just returned from a work trip to Europe . Unfortunately , as things have opened back up , the cost of traveling and the associated costs have skyrocketed due the record cost of gas and inflation . Maybe the trip won ’ t be as far away and maybe every dinner won ’ t be out , but there is still a condo at the beach ( my favorite ), a cabin in the woods , a motorhome on the road , maybe just a trip to grandma ’ s house , or even a staycation !
There is no better was to clear your mind , relieve your stress , recharge your batteries and just have FUN than a vacation ! I encourage you to get away with your family , friends or even by yourself this summer and crank up The Go-Gos ! “ Vacation , all I ever wanted ! Vacation , had to get away !”
— STR3
JULY / AUGUST 2022 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 5