Brochures, pamphlets, atlases, and torn magazine pages littered the floor in my bedroom. My little sister and I had collected everything we could find on great destinations like Hawaii, Disney World, Jamaica, various theme parks, island cruises and even sites nearby. We were going to plan the Perfect Vacation for our family.

“We only have one week left of school before summer begins!” I was exasperated that we hadn’t narrowed down our search.

“I wanna go to the beach!” Lizzie grabbed a beer ad she had torn out because of the beach scene.

“We don’t know if Mom and Dad can afford that. Let’s see where the closest beach is.” I humored her. “We would have to go to Virginia somewhere. See?” I pointed at the atlas. “I want to ride rides, see Sea World, and maybe hike somewhere. Let’s take Hawaii and Jamaica out. They’re too far. We need to pick somewhere close, make it sound affordable and present that to Mom and Dad first. Then when they’re all excited, we’ll ask about the beach.”

That was my fool-proof plan.