3/8/16

I've Been Everywhere, Man

It's been a bit of a whirlwind since I last shared a blog post, and I feel like a barely know where to begin.

This past month has been one of travel for me - and even as a homebody that has made me incredibly happy. People often say that once you get married and start a family your days of travel are over, or at the very least, drastically limited. But that certainly doesn't have to be the case! In my opinion traveling, even with young children, is always worth it. My sense of curiosity and adventure grows with each new place I visit. This world is much too wonderful not to explore and experience, and I want that for my children as well.

The first trip was to Montreal, Quebec, Canada.



While many people choose to head south for a mid-winter getaway, Herm and I have discovered that we absolutely love going north. Last year spent some time in Lake Placid, NY, where the temps dipped down well below 0* and snow piled thigh high. We cozied up in our little rental cabin, spending hours together reading, relaxing, and reconnecting. It was the most restful vacation we ever went on as a family. This year we wanted the same, a cozy place to stay and lots of down time.

Montreal is about a 5.5 hour drive for us. Neither Herm or I had ever been to Quebec, so of course we were excited about that. The area is heavily influenced by French culture, from language to food to fashion. It truly felt like we were in Europe, and not North America. We rented a small Airbnb loft apartment in Old Montreal, a part of the city boasting cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture and rich history.

We did spend a good chunk of time each day getting out to explore the area, visiting produce markets, coffee shops, ice skating on the river, and walking the streets, but we also spent a lot of time reading and relaxing in our loft on Rue Notre Dame.

Spring and summer are intense seasons for Herm's business, so a mid-winter getaway is very high priority for us each year. Montreal was absolutely lovely, and some day, perhaps in the summer, I would love to return there for another visit.


The second trip took Carson and I out to Los Angeles, CA, for a few days. My friend since childhood, Gina, and her husband and adorable one year old boy live in Tujunga, a suburb of the city.



A year and a half ago Herm, Carson, and I flew out to visit them for a few days before driving up the Coastal Highway. Our time with them was far too short, and I promised Gina that I would try hard to figure out a way to come visit again. I was planning to go last August. But life happened, and after my cousin and her baby passed away money was put towards a plane ticket to Wisconsin and my intentions of visiting Gina were put on hold.

Fast forward to about a month ago when I get a Voxer message from Gina, proposing an idea: Carson and I would come out to LA and spend a few days with them, then fly back to New York with Gina and her son Bryce. Gina's sister, Kaylie, is getting married this weekend, and Gina wanted to come spend a couple of weeks helping prepare for the wedding - her husband would be coming in just a few days before the wedding. Gina doesn't enjoy flying in general, but flying with a toddler made that thought even worse.

I mentioned the idea to Herm, and before I even had my sentence complete he looked at me and said "Go!"

That very night our tickets were purchased, and just four days after being in Montreal, Carson and I were stepping off of a plane into beautiful 75* weather.

Hello SoCal!

Gina and I took the boys to the beach one morning and went to World Market the next, but otherwise most of our time was spent at her house, soaking up sunshine in the backyard, visiting her neighbor friend, and just being together. This little trip was a dream come true - I am so, so grateful that it happened. Sometimes last minute plans work out the best, don't they?


And finally, the third trip was to a business conference in Toronto, Ontario, (which I have exactly zero pictures of) just last night. Carson went to Papa and Grandma's house for the night -- to him this is the equivalent of visiting Disney Land, so very, very exciting! -- and Herm and I made the short road trip to Toronto. We attended the event, which also included dinner, then stayed the night. This morning after a quick stop at a cafe, we were back on the road headed for home. Our total trip time from leaving home to returning was just over 24 hours.


As far as I know there won't be many more trips between now and when baby arrives in 9 weeks, give or take a few, but who knows? Is anyone from Hawaii or Maui looking for someone to help them fly to New York with their toddler? If so, send me a Voxer message and I'll mention it to my husband. :)

0 comments:

Post a Comment