[twitter]My earliest memory from my childhood is when I was 5. I took my first plane ride with my grandparents and aunt to Florida.
I remember waking up early with my grandfather to walk the beach and play in the surf. I remember climbing trees to pick oranges, and I remember driving moon buggies at the Kennedy Space Centre. Oh, and I also remember Disney World. The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and getting my name embroidered on a hat.
It was, without a doubt, one of the greatest vacations I have ever had, and the fact my grandmother scrapbooked the entire thing for me in huge detail has let me relive it my entire life.
I was the oldest grandchild, and that spring of 1975 started a family tradition: when you turned 5 years old, my grandparents would take you to Disney. It happened for my brother, my sister, and my cousins.
The tradition has taken a few decades off as my brother, sister, and I have only just recently started our families, but last spring it started up again when my parents took my niece to Disneyland.
So, this spring, in the advance of my oldest turning 6, it won’t be me taking him to the Wonderful World of Disney, it will be my parents – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I can imagine my parents will be taking a lot of pictures of my son on his adventure. Probably a few videos too. I’ll be able to Facetime or Skype with him from the hotel every night, and maybe even while he’s waiting in line at Space Mountain.
It wasn’t quite like that in 1975. I have a few dozen photos in scrapbooks to remind me of the trip. Here are some of my favorites from my first trip to Disney.
