A Family Holiday without Pictures

I have never been on a holiday without bringing home hundreds of pictures before. Not post-kids, not pre-kids. But something inside me told me to leave the phone, camera and laptop behind this time. Maybe it's fatigue, maybe it's guilt for not always being present for the moment. But I know I wanted to wholeheartedly focus on Ewan, Faye and Meyer [and cut myself some slack] on this impromptu trip.

Actually I didn't know it as a definite. The day before as I packed, I questioned myself several times if I really wanted to take this plunge. I almost plucked the petals off my long-stalked rose with "I love you, I love you not" to help make this decision. To go home without any photographs and videos from our first time to Sunway Lagoon? There will be milestones to capture as Ewan and Faye make their first attempts at water slides. We will be staying in a spacious family room with a King and a double-decker right where Sunway Lagoon is which I'm sure many of my followers would be excited to  find out. They would also probably be excited rediscover this 37 year old theme park that's long forgotten by many through my eyes. 

Then I thought to myself, am I photographing memories for myself or for my followers? Regardless the reason, I know my family would appreciate my committed presence more than getting them to smile for the camera in 10 different poses until I got my preferred shot for that Instagram square. I imagined going down that water slide with my family, a GoPro stick in hand recording the whole process of us screaming and laughing. Then I imagined us doing the same thing with no agenda at all and enjoying every second of that moment knocking knees, screaming and laughing. I chose that stress-free latter of an option. 

With pictures and videos, it also meant endless hours of editing on the computer plus possibly a blog post to follow. The workaholic in me will not sleep or rest until I've edited that day's worth of captures. Then I'll go to bed dog-tired. I had been taking up so many jobs recently - photographing, editing and writing. Even if this time was for leisure, it would still feel like work if I continued photographing, editing and writing.

The first thing I did when we checked into our room was lock my smart phone in the safety box.

If this was my chance to relax and steer clear from social media for a bit, I think I'd like to take it up and experience what REST actually feels like. No matter what, it's always exhausting travelling with young kids. Taking out my nightly holiday routines of editing pictures and videos, I should have more time finding rest for myself. 

Ewan said he noticed I didn't carry my phone with me. Nor did I have my camera. He was also the first one who read a signage at the mall and informed me, "Mom! There's free wi-fi here!" *haha* Instead of having pictures to depict this Sunway Lagoon getaway, we've got other things to keep in memory instead.

Love Notes. With an underline for Parents' Signatures *haha*

At Sunway Lagoon, instead of pointing my camera in their faces as they took their first slimey bucket-tipping splash, I was there with them getting slimed. Instead of capturing on video Faye's first black hole attempt on a water slide, I saw her off at the onset and shouted into the hole, "You got this 妹! I'm right here behind you!" 

But one funny conversation happened. 

Nickelodeon partnered Sunway Lagoon and there are Ninja Turtles, Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob meet and greets. Obviously our son wanted a photograph with his idols! He reminded me to take a photograph of him with them and I said, "Oh! But I do not have a camera nor a phone!" Ewan has always been the one complaining about me take one too many photographs so this request had me laughing in surprise. Eventually when the turtles came out, it didn't matter if I had my camera with me really. He indulged in great pleasure playing with Michaelangelo who spent all 15 minutes communicating with him in mimes and fights. Those memories observed from my naked eyes instead of through a lens felt liberating to me. I enjoyed it a lot watching the end of his lips curl when they interacted and witnessing Faye shyly gave one of them a High-Three [turtles have only three fingers].

Did I regret not bringing these essentials devices with me as I encouraged him to scale his first 9-meter high wall in 1 minute 19 seconds? I was bursting with pride when he repelled from the third story to ground level with confidence. I wondered what beautiful photographs I would have gotten from Meyer and Faye's ice-skating session on that olympic sized ice-skating rink. I imagined myself sitting on the bench, connected to free wi-fi and creating 15 second bursts of videos to be posted on Instagram. At that same time, hearing Ewan or Faye or Daddy going, "Mom! Look at us! We did it!"  but I would have missed them all because I would be busy crafting words and putting tags in each IG story. 

On our last dinner in Kuala Lumpur, I told Meyer...

Mom: I think this decision to put the phone and camera away is ...

Dad: *interrupted me* bad idea right? You're having withdrawal?

Mom: The best decision I've ever made. It feels so good.

Dad: Good!

As soon as we returned to Singapore, I'm back at Insta-Storying and editing and writing again because work beckons. That said, I'm also thankful for my nature of work as a mom blogger because they take us to places we would never have gone. We get to enjoy all the fun before the public does and that's our privilege for giving our clients publicity on our social media platforms. Nothing comes for free. 

A Family Holiday without Pictures. Will you attempt to embark on one in the near future? There's no doubt I'll do it again. I am certain they will never forget Sunway Lagoon. Neither will I because it's our first trip without pictures - the exact reason why I will never forget.

Like Us on Facebook if you enjoyed the read!

A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life. 

We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.