As I sit here trying to finish up our Hawaii travel guide, I had to stop and make a new post on how eternally grateful I am that this is our life. Traveling has always been a true love for me. I love the new views, I love exploring new cities. I love making memories! One of the most asked questions I get is... How do you travel with your kids? Why don't you and your husband just travel and leave kids home? Wouldn't that be easier?
Maybe I'm wired differently. Most likely the case. Don't get me wrong, I love our adult trips, I will never give those up! However, traveling is being able to explore with my kids. Showing my kids the world right before their own eyes. They don't have to look at pictures and learn about places from books, I want them to see those places & experience new cultures for themselves. All of our vacations are truly incredible, seeing new cities, new landmarks, new everything...however our trip to Maui was one for the books! I don't know if it is one of those destinations where people think they will never go, but it was something you dream about. I have been describing it has Beach Dreamy. It’s the best way I can explain, you are on an island surrounded by beaches and water. The landscape of this island is just breathtaking, words will never even begin to explain. We had beach days, rain forest days, mountain days...we saw the entire island and I am so glad we did!
When we travel I am SO thankful to have my husband and my mom. 3 adults with 3 children is the perfect concoction for us. I am truly blessed that my mom does all of this with us! Our travels as you might expect are nothing short of chaotic. Travel days get long, emotions, behaviors, tantrums...they happen. By the end of the day everyone is ready for a good night sleep! But like anything that is difficult in life, you learn from those experiences, to make it better or less stressful the next time. When it comes to our travels, we are definitely getting better. From luggage, to checking bags outside of the airport, to parking onsite or getting a rental delivered on site, to the science of packing all the luggage, car seat, jogger stroller and all of us in a vehicle. I don't like the saying "practice makes perfect" as it sets you up for so many failures...I prefer "practice makes progress" ....or "practice makes improvement"...because practice truly does progress you in the right direction. Learn from what didn't work and make it better each time after.
I look back to when we first started doing our yearly Florida trip and how much we have grown and learned since then. I sometimes feel like we deserve a pat on the back! Our travel to Hawaii with a layover, it was the longest flight to date that the girls had been on. There are no direct flights from MSP to Maui, and as much as I hate layovers, I thought with 3 little girls, it would be beneficial. We made sure that the layover times were short, but long enough to get out, stretch, walk around, use restrooms & grab food. I was nervous about our 2 year old on a long flight, not as nervous about our 5 and 9 year old. To my surprise, our 2 year old slept almost all of every flight, she was a trooper! I definitely credit her carseat, if you have a child who loves their carseat...do yourself a favor and bring it on the plane and let your child have their own seat. Without that, she would have been a monster!
Find what works for you and your family. Pack each child's favorite snacks, make sure to bring your own water bottles to fill up at the airport. Charge their ipads, pack the headphones, bring their favorite stuffy or blanket. Our girls always pack their own backpack to bring on the plane, with mom's digression of course. But I am a strong believer in the comfort items, make them as cozy as possible on the plane.
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all. Our travels, although our kids may not understand it all now or make take it for granted, they will be able to look back when they are my age as say "we went on trips all the time & we got to see so many different places" ....my dream for them is to see the world for themselves. I want them to be world travelers, I want them to experience other cultures, I want them to truly see how beautiful, unique & diverse the world is. While they are young, I take that on myself to show them as much as I possibly can.
Traveling makes my heart happy. Traveling makes me thrive. Traveling with family is an entirely different feeling, one that can't be described. It is pure joy. Happiness. Stressful. Exciting. Overwhelming at times.
Bottle up all the feelings and never take them for granted.
That's all for now.
XO- KK
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