The end of the year found me trying to simplify my life. I have a tendency to make things far more complicated than they need to be. It is somewhat due to my desire to please as many people as possible. What did I do to change my life? What does it have to do with traveling?
I took the kids to the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio, for the first time when they were toddlers. It was also my first visit there! Of course, I’ve been to museums before, but not with kids in tow. Given that it’s an art museum, I thought it would be stuffy and boring. I also thought I’d feel stress about them potentially touching everything. As toddlers do.
Is it one of the kid friendly things to do in Columbus, Ohio?
Thank you, Simone, for this awesome post about her adventures in the most romantic city in the world: Paris!
In late August of 2002, I was surprised for my 21st birthday with a weekend in Paris by my then boyfriend. To other people it must sound like the most romantic thing in the world. Normally, I would agree that this is a valid statement. Unfortunately, I believe that it only counts as being utterly romantic if you do not already argue in the car on the way to Paris and you do not stop halfway at a rest area to call your sister for advice on whether to continue or not.
As I’ve mentioned, we aren’t able to travel right now. I’ve used that time wisely by googling “the most interesting things about Columbus, Ohio” and I found out the first woman fly around the world solo (and finish) is from Ohio! Who is she and when did it happen?
Thanks to Julie for this wonderful guest post about extended summer travel with kids!
My kids and I do quite a bit of summer travel. We drive two hours away multiple times during the summer and stay for a week or two at a time. We’re rarely home for more than one to two weeks between trips. We stay with family. My husband joins us for a weekend or a long weekend sometimes.
Most people find this situation really strange.
Let’s face it, not only is it easy to put travel on the back burner, sometimes the choice is taken out of our hands for awhile. Whether it be health or financial matters, not being able to travel is a bummer. Since I can’t travel right now, here’s what I do to get by when it feels like I’m never going to get to travel.
*Record scratch* Get your mind out of the gutter. This isn’t about that kind of first time. I was invited to my friend’s “ends with a 5” birthday party and she wanted to do a night out in Columbus. A real night out. No kids and no need to drive home at the end of the night. My first overnight away from both kids in 3 years. The only time I’ve been away overnight in 4 years was to birth my second child.
One month ago, this event sounded amazing. One week ago, my anxiety started in and I didn’t want to go.
As usual, I wasn’t prepared for the trip. This time our destination was the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky (it’s actually in Kentucky and not Ohio). I packed twice the night before and once again in the morning. Every time I turned around, my two little humans were unpacking the suitcase and using it for a doll bed. I was worried I’d forget an essential item. I also wondered would my kids enjoy the aquarium. Would I forget something? Did the kids have fun on our aquarium adventure? Did we go across the Newport Aquarium Shark Bridge?