Teens and Texting and Vacations

So I spent some time on a vacation with my cousin, her 17 year-old daughter and her daughter's best friend, 16 years old.  My cousin is 36.  We went to a warm climate to shed the cold of winter and take the chill out of our bones.  My cousin makes a meager income and is the unwed mother of two children from different fathers but that is another blog post. She and her daughter have nicer cellphones than I do and I work full time. I digress. The girls texted from the time they got up in the morning until they were told to go to sleep.   There was ocean, ships, people, sand, surf, but they would never had known it they weren't told to stop texting and look around. My cousin was texting and calling and emailing to facebook when she wasn't shopping.  They texted while crossing the street and they texted while walking down the sidewalks past driveways where cars were coming and going.  They never looked up and I was concerned for their safety and had to remind them to watch where they were.  I had to leave luggage for them to watch and I looked over to see them texting.   
        I think the enjoyment and benefit of being on vacation is leaving your surroundings and friends behind to enjoy new experiences, get refreshed and go home with a renewed energy. It also gives your loved ones and friends a break from you and the experience of missing you.  If a person is in constant contact with their friends back home then the vacation experience is diminished.  If you are so consumed with texting your friends that you don't take time to appreciate the beauty of where you are, why go anywhere?  And, when told to stop texting the girls were uncomfortable and  anxious.
     I wasn't on vacation with just my cousins, they brought with them their friends, their friends' friends, my cousin's boyfriend, her babysitter, and who knows who else.  Conversations in which actual discussion occurred were at meals in restaurants where everyone put their cell phones away.  Other than  that very little discussion could take place as each time a new message arrived  that was a priority over conversation.  I just gave up and sat in silence during bus rides and taxi rides. We did go snorkeling but I don't think the teenagers gave a damn if we did anything or not. If they had not been attached to their cell phones and we could have discussed activities, more might have occurred.  
    If you are wondering why I am expressing frustration it is for several reasons.  One, my feelings were hurts because I don't think my cousins were interested in spending time with me or having conversation with me.  I know the two girls weren't interested but I am much older and my cousin didn't set any boundaries on their behavior.  I have never had children but I know they need rules to follow or they will do whatever feels right.  Two, I paid for the hotel room for everyone, a number of the meals, etc.  I did this because my cousin and her daughter wanted to go on a vacation and did not have enough money.  I wanted to spend time with them and have a vacation, too. We went on a cruise last year and that was nice but at sea texting costs money.
   I did enjoy myself but I didn't have the experience I could have had.  Will I go on vacation with my cousin and her daughter again.  Not likely.  I will tell them I don't think texting and vacations go together and why.  Your thoughts are welcome

Beginning Blogging 101

This is my very first blog so I am new to this.  Have patience with me. I am a slow learner. That is the reason I was not a good student in school and I can't spell which is a thorn in my side. My typing skills are poor as I think faster than I type.  No matter.  I am going to try expressing my thoughts, observations, opinions, and wit in my blogs.  Truth is I have not read very many blogs of other people but I write for a living and I want to do a better job of expressing myself.  I thought blogging could help.