Just Another Dumb Family Trip

I have got to be the unluckiest 15-year-old on the planet. My parents are once again dragging me and my 12-year-old brother on another dumb family trip. Nothing I say or do will change their minds. For some strange reason, they feel it’s important for me to visit all the places I’ve already seen on the computer. Surrender appears to be my only option, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

My father rudely wakes me at 6 a.m. to help him load the Rover and the trailer it tows. No trip across the Martian surface is simple. Solar panels, oxygen generator, food rations, tents with a reflective surface to protect against the freezing nights and, of course, extra suits just in case one gets damaged, all need to be expertly packed. Naturally, my brother tries to help, but only gets in the way.

Our destination is Medusae Fossae, which is Latin for Medusa’s Trench. I’m told it is more than twice the length of the Grand Canyon on Earth. I’ve never been to Earth, and probably never will, so that comparison means nothing to me. Some people say the trenches are the best location on Mars for finding alien life. I think that’s bogus. The only aliens come from Earth and we Martians should tell them to go back to where they came from. When I get older, I’m going to do something about all these Earthlings crowding onto our planet. For now, all I can do is help load the supplies. It’s time to go.

My father pilots the Rover over the rock-strewn Martian landscape while my mother handles the navigation. My brother and I scan the barren landscape, searching for something, anything, of interest. As time drags on, we pull out the chessboard. He’s not very good but getting better every time we play. He says he’ll be able to beat me soon—like that will ever happen.

After eight long, boring hours, we make camp for the night. Meals of prepackaged food and distilled water are devoured. Now there’s nothing left to do but take in the Martian night sky. The stars paint the heavens with their brilliance while the neighboring planets, Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth, appear close enough to touch. I feel immersed in the universe and then I hear a voice calling my name.

At first, the voice sounds soft and distant, but grows in volume and proximity. A hand shakes my body, and my eyes snap open. I hear my father saying, “Come on sleepy head. We have 500 miles to go before reaching the Grand Canyon.”

It’s depressing, but I get it. There is no escaping a family trip, whether it’s in my dreams or in real time.