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Spring break vacation
Feb. 1st, 2012 11:17 pm"The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page." ~ Saint Augustine ~
One of my favorite travel quotes. When I was in my early pregnancy (early second trimester), a friend with a 4-year old looked dolefully at me and said: "you know your traveling days are over for a while, right? Until she gets a little bit older? I haven't gone anywhere since my daughter was born."
I'm known among my friends to have a serious case of wanderlust. When I chose to stay on in the USA after college, my husband jokingly started counting the years. We had a mini celebration when I broke my previous record of staying in one country for more than 8 years. It's been six more years since then; of course, things happened along the way, like getting a job I loved, owning a house, having a kid...
I really enjoy traveling, it is a passion I cannot explain. And not just in the "I like wine so let's go to Italy" attitude, or a "I've been to Bahamas four times and we go every year" attitude either. The best analogy I can come up with right now is how astronomers must feel when gazing out at the stars: there is so much out there, so much unknown, so much left unexplored. To be cognizant of their existence, how can you not be filled with a deep, soulful longing to want to see it? To see, to smell, to taste, to hear, to feel, to explore. To try new dishes, and roll new languages on my tongue, to laugh with the locals, to gaze upon sights I've never seen before. Some friends laugh at the thought, but I tell them that I travel because I have to.
I am determined. I will give up new clothes for years for my travel budget. I will eat ramen noodles for weeks for my travel budget.I will spend countless hours scoring the internet for deals for my travel budget. I can give up TV and internet and radio and newspapers for my travel budget. I will sit (and did) on a Greyhound bus for 22 hours for my travel budget. I spent a Christmas Eve in an airport overnight layover for my travel budget. I knew I would be willing to do almost anything for Erika. Brian laughs, but one thing I will not give up for her is travel! Luckily, he agrees: why should we?
Erika went to Mexico with us when I was six months pregnant. She had a lot of hiccups after the spicy food, and she started to squirm and turn a lot when we sat out in the sun. We took a break for a while when she was very young, but then we went to central Oregon when she turned a year old. We saw Crater Lake (the deepest lake in the USA) and hiked numerous state forests. We visited Portland and Eugene and many other towns. We flew to Malaysia for 7 weeks in the summer of 2011 and traveled by car and bus to cities (and even countries!) several hours away. We went to Chicago for the first time in November 2011 and explored the city. We realized that at 18 months old, she had logged over 60 hours of airtime on 8 different flights (... radiation exposure, anyone?). My friend with the 4-year old shakes her head at me, and says she still hasn't traveled with her daughter because "they are not ready". I don't know what that means...?
You become a seasoned traveler through experience. None of us are born veteran travelers, but Erika is a fast learner. She isn't free of tantrums, nor is she angelic. In fact, she's quite the hell on wheels, a rebellious firecracker who sets a determined look on her face and digs her heels in with a cross frown. But here are my tips for traveling with children (actually this works really well for adults too!!):
1. Keep them well-fed
2. Keep them well-rested
3. Keep them entertained
4. Keep them feeling comfortable
5. Be flexible
And that's it! I pack her favorite snacks, a good variety of them (at least 10 choices, all in small quantities, because heck, where are you going that you wont find something to buy? You need just enough for travel time, then buy more when you get to your destination). I make sure she gets lots of sleep the night before, and then she takes lots of naps. Bring some new toys, or if you're like me and prefer to travel light; be prepared to *BE* the entertainer for the duration of the trip. For a long flight, this meant I lost my voice by the time we landed. If there is a favorite stuffed toy, a favorite book to read, a blanket they simply love, a favorite sweater, a favorite pair of shoes: let them bring it! (But keep a close eye on it to make sure it comes home too...) And lastly, be flexible. Do we *HAVE* to be first in line? (No.Get out of the line and go somewhere else till the crowds clear.) Do we *HAVE* to see XYZ entertainment at this very moment? (No. Come back later.)
Anyhow, Spring break (April 2012) is around the corner, so we looked around and decided on a place. We booked our next travel. We'll be visiting the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee! I'm excited. Hiking trails, horseback riding (ahem, pony rides for Erika, really), and Dollywood! And horses, horses, and horses! Also I heard a nice aquarium in Gaitlinsburg (Ripley's?). Anybody in the area interested in meeting up?
I'll leave you with my other favorite travel quote.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." ~ Mark Twain ~
One of my favorite travel quotes. When I was in my early pregnancy (early second trimester), a friend with a 4-year old looked dolefully at me and said: "you know your traveling days are over for a while, right? Until she gets a little bit older? I haven't gone anywhere since my daughter was born."
I'm known among my friends to have a serious case of wanderlust. When I chose to stay on in the USA after college, my husband jokingly started counting the years. We had a mini celebration when I broke my previous record of staying in one country for more than 8 years. It's been six more years since then; of course, things happened along the way, like getting a job I loved, owning a house, having a kid...
I really enjoy traveling, it is a passion I cannot explain. And not just in the "I like wine so let's go to Italy" attitude, or a "I've been to Bahamas four times and we go every year" attitude either. The best analogy I can come up with right now is how astronomers must feel when gazing out at the stars: there is so much out there, so much unknown, so much left unexplored. To be cognizant of their existence, how can you not be filled with a deep, soulful longing to want to see it? To see, to smell, to taste, to hear, to feel, to explore. To try new dishes, and roll new languages on my tongue, to laugh with the locals, to gaze upon sights I've never seen before. Some friends laugh at the thought, but I tell them that I travel because I have to.
I am determined. I will give up new clothes for years for my travel budget. I will eat ramen noodles for weeks for my travel budget.I will spend countless hours scoring the internet for deals for my travel budget. I can give up TV and internet and radio and newspapers for my travel budget. I will sit (and did) on a Greyhound bus for 22 hours for my travel budget. I spent a Christmas Eve in an airport overnight layover for my travel budget. I knew I would be willing to do almost anything for Erika. Brian laughs, but one thing I will not give up for her is travel! Luckily, he agrees: why should we?
Erika went to Mexico with us when I was six months pregnant. She had a lot of hiccups after the spicy food, and she started to squirm and turn a lot when we sat out in the sun. We took a break for a while when she was very young, but then we went to central Oregon when she turned a year old. We saw Crater Lake (the deepest lake in the USA) and hiked numerous state forests. We visited Portland and Eugene and many other towns. We flew to Malaysia for 7 weeks in the summer of 2011 and traveled by car and bus to cities (and even countries!) several hours away. We went to Chicago for the first time in November 2011 and explored the city. We realized that at 18 months old, she had logged over 60 hours of airtime on 8 different flights (... radiation exposure, anyone?). My friend with the 4-year old shakes her head at me, and says she still hasn't traveled with her daughter because "they are not ready". I don't know what that means...?
You become a seasoned traveler through experience. None of us are born veteran travelers, but Erika is a fast learner. She isn't free of tantrums, nor is she angelic. In fact, she's quite the hell on wheels, a rebellious firecracker who sets a determined look on her face and digs her heels in with a cross frown. But here are my tips for traveling with children (actually this works really well for adults too!!):
1. Keep them well-fed
2. Keep them well-rested
3. Keep them entertained
4. Keep them feeling comfortable
5. Be flexible
And that's it! I pack her favorite snacks, a good variety of them (at least 10 choices, all in small quantities, because heck, where are you going that you wont find something to buy? You need just enough for travel time, then buy more when you get to your destination). I make sure she gets lots of sleep the night before, and then she takes lots of naps. Bring some new toys, or if you're like me and prefer to travel light; be prepared to *BE* the entertainer for the duration of the trip. For a long flight, this meant I lost my voice by the time we landed. If there is a favorite stuffed toy, a favorite book to read, a blanket they simply love, a favorite sweater, a favorite pair of shoes: let them bring it! (But keep a close eye on it to make sure it comes home too...) And lastly, be flexible. Do we *HAVE* to be first in line? (No.Get out of the line and go somewhere else till the crowds clear.) Do we *HAVE* to see XYZ entertainment at this very moment? (No. Come back later.)
Anyhow, Spring break (April 2012) is around the corner, so we looked around and decided on a place. We booked our next travel. We'll be visiting the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee! I'm excited. Hiking trails, horseback riding (ahem, pony rides for Erika, really), and Dollywood! And horses, horses, and horses! Also I heard a nice aquarium in Gaitlinsburg (Ripley's?). Anybody in the area interested in meeting up?
I'll leave you with my other favorite travel quote.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." ~ Mark Twain ~
