I guess everyone has memories of a family vacation where expectations didn’t quite align. One person dreams of rugged adventure in the great outdoors, while the rest just want sun, a beach, and decent Wi-Fi. So… compromise.

Our little family chose a tropical island. Dad had secretly hoped for remote wilderness camping. We, the kids wanted sand, sunshine, and reliable internet. Mum, aiming for universal happiness, suggested the perfect middle ground: an island with lush rainforests, volcanoes, and comfortable holiday rentals right by the beach.

Dad heard rainforest and immediately went full Johnny Thunder while packing. The rest of us packed light.

As it turns out, you don’t really need full survival gear for a hike on a tropical island. So there Dad was—slightly grumpy, heavily equipped, and vastly overprepared—while a friendly local snapped a photo of us during a casual walk up a nearby mountain.

Dad’s takeaway? Next time, he promises himself, it’ll be a proper expedition. Full-on. Arctic.

This moment is based on an original MOC I designed for a completely different purpose. Because the build felt so universal and relatable in a family holiday setting, I chose to present it this way for the BrickLink Designer Program. The original story behind the MOC was far more dramatic—and far less LEGO-like.

It was inspired by a manga/anime set in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii, where two separate groups gradually become a family through shared hardship. The leader of one group, Rose, takes in a desperate heroine and her companions despite deep suspicion among her people. In the end, the newcomers are essential in rescuing the youngest member, Lilly, and later join forces to confront a hidden base deep inside Mt Kaʻala. In the story, everyone accepted as family receives a flower name. By the end, the family included Rose, Lilly, Anemone, Dahlia, Gerbera, Margarete, Daisy, Freesia, Lycoris, Amaryllis, and Cattleya—though heartbreakingly, only two survive the trap that was set for them.

Inspired by Hawaii, the LEGO scene features lush tropical vegetation, flowering trees, and a gentle mountain backdrop loosely reflecting Mount Kaʻala. All flowers in the display have been individually designed to represent those names, creating a cohesive botanical theme throughout the build. The result is a relaxed tropical setting that invites storytelling, minifigure display, and the recreation of warm holiday memories.

The spirit of the original story is still present for those who know it—but here, it has been reimagined in a lighter, more playful way. Feel free to guess the inspirational story in the comments, and have fun voting!