One day this summer, my mom gathered my three siblings and me and gave us the amazing news: "This summer we're going to Orlando for vacation. While we're there, we're going to spend two days at Disney World!"

"All right!" we yelled.

I quickly became the skeptical one, "How are we going to get there?"

"We're driving!" she announced.

"How long a drive?" was my next question.

"About 18 hours," was my mom's response.

I felt like collapsing. How on earth was an active 15-year-old supposed to share 18 hours with his mom and dad, his 11-year-old brother, an 8-year-old sister, and a 2-year-old baby brother in a minivan?

A couple days later, I found out about even more family togetherness: We would also be making the 12-hour drive from Florida to my uncle's house in New Jersey, after the Disney trip. After that, we'd spend a lot of time in Columbus, Ohio, where my dad works. Because of all these trips, I would miss all kinds of summer fun: no tennis lessons, swimming lessons or just hanging out at home.

And now that the summer with the family is complete, people wonder what I liked best.

Space Mountain? No.

Watching movies on my uncle's big-screen TV? No.

Beautiful downtown Columbus? No.

Even though all these activities were fun, what I liked best about this summer was all the time spent talking to my family. Passing through Tennessee, we talked about the different trees, famous Tennesseans and what to do with all of that kudzu -- a speedy-growing vine that seemed to be covering every bit of green -- along the highway.

Passing through Atlanta, we talked about sports stadiums we'd seen. I learned that my dad had been to Atlanta many times and thought the traffic was crazier than New York City.

Passing through Florida, we talked about crocodiles, Steve Irwin and the Miami Heat.

It sounds like small talk, but this talk worked wonders on our trip.

Gone were the siblings annoying and fighting with each other. Harmony seemed to reign. It's amazing how a cramped road trip can literally bring a close family even closer together.