Holiday of a lifetime!

Summer holidays are when kids run free! No school, no homework; just two months of play.
At least that’s what kids want to believe.

Weather in Ireland has always been unpredictable and summer is no different. So many young families jet off a holiday to have some fun in the sun.But when you have eight kids, it’s almost impossible to organise a break away. Jill and Andrew had finally saved enough to take their eight kids on a proper family holiday; to a place every kid dreams of going, the famous Adventure Resort. Jill and Andrew had been planning this vacation for years to be the holiday of a lifetime. 

This holiday was as much for the kids as it was for Jill and Andrew. The parents planned to take advantage of every opportunity that came along, to get some well deserved R&R. After all, keeping track of eight hyper and excited kids was no easy task, especially on holiday. 

After arriving at the resort, the four youngsters were still bouncing around; giddy from seeing all the rides, games and activities within the Resort. Jill and Andrew exhausted most of their energy herding the youngsters from the check-in desk to the villa and stop them from wandering. 

Barely in the door of their villa, Jill and Andrew dropped all their bags and flopped onto their bed. All they wanted was a few minutes of peace and quiet to catch up on some beauty sleep; but the kiddie’s were still buzzing with excitement and ready to explore. 

To help their parents; as the eldest, the elder teenagers Sean and Holly offered to take care of their younger siblings for a few hours. So while the kids were busy in the water park, the parents (Jill and Andrew) headed to the spa and indulged in some pampering. Their brief moment of rest was interrupted by an emergency announcement over the intercom; looking for the parents of an unaccompanied child. 

Sean and Holly tried their best but they bit of more than they could chew. The six youngsters with their overflowing curiosity and excitement couldn’t keep still. They were too impatient, each wanting to do something different. Sean and Holly only turned away for a few seconds but that was all it took, for the cheeky youngsters to sneak away. 

Jill and Andrew realised they were asking too much of the teenagers, this was their holiday too. So, to thank them for trying, they let Sean and Holly do whatever they want for the rest of the afternoon. Meanwhile, as punishment, the six little minx’s were left in the kids club which was basically a creche. After all the commotion, there was only 3 three hours left before Kid’s Club was over, with no time left to explore the resort, Jill and Andrew head back their villa for some shut-eye. 

After dinner, the family are all together again sitting on the beach watching the sunset. After such a long and eventful day the youngsters were finally running low on energy. They were son tired, they went straight to bed after returning to the villa. Even after all the running and racing, it was still a great first day, Adventure Resort had no shortage of activities to entertain the kids for ten days. Jill had no doubt this would be a vacation they would all remember forever…

Jill, Andrew and the kids were woken up by an explosion of sounds; crashing, banging, wailing. It was unlike anything they had ever heard before. What was going on? Andrew pulled back the bedroom curtains, but instead of blue cloudless skies and sunshine he was greeted by spitting rain, palm trees twisting and bending in the whistling wind. A thick dirty blanket of black clouds blocked the sun from shining down on them. 

What bad luck! This vacation was supposed to be special but it seemed the yucky weather followed them from Ireland. The sudden storm was so dangerous, the resort had to close all the outdoor facilities including the most popular attractions, the water park and fun fair. Since it was impossible to go outside, over 600 guests and 200 staff were all stuck indoors. It didn’t take long before chaos erupted throughout the resort. The restaurants, bars and cafes were overcrowded, short-staffed and running low on supplies. Nobody could have predicted this and it wasn’t anybodies fault but guest could only take their frustration out on the staff, who were run off their feet trying to cater to everyone. 

Jill struggled to hold back the tears; she and Andrew had spent years saving money and sacrificed so much to make this vacation a reality. The holiday they had dreamed about had turned into a disaster. 

On the third day the storm had passed, leaving a trail of wreckage that was Adventure Resort. All the outdoor facilities were closed for maintenance, the swimming pools and parks were full of debris, tossed tables and benches. Dozens of windows were smashed by large branches, overnight the resort turned into a scene from a disaster movie. 

While jill and Andrew put on brave faces to mask their frustration and sadness, the youngsters had a different view of the aftermath. Wile most looked at the carnage in despair, the youngsters saw an opportunity; an opportunity to play in the mud and dirt. They pretended alien invaders were attacking Earth to eradicate fun from the planet. Seeing the youngsters make the most of a depressing situation, other children started joining in. 

Inspired by the children’s innocence; the resort staff were determined to make sure they enjoyed themselves as much as possible. They handed out hundreds of water guns and other toys for free. A little while later everyone; both adults and children were running around soaking wet from an epic water fight.

It was far from the the holiday Jill and Andrew planned for but it was definitely unforgettable. The experience would be a story they would tell for years and years.