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Is Your Family Driving You Crazy?

Some advice for dealing with relatives on your summer vacation.

Heather Havrilesky
Jun 30, 2025
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The Thousand and One Nights (1954), Jane Graverol

Summertime, and the living is not easy if you’re vacationing with your extended family. Why is spending time with blood relatives so difficult? Why are mothers and uncles and sisters and cousins alike so good at getting under our skin?

When I was younger, I never anticipated trouble. I saw family trips as …

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