A few years ago I was inspired by a friend to create a list of 50 things I wanted to do before turning fifty years old, my 50 x 50. On that list was a trip to Italy with my dad. Not only was I lucky enough to experience that recently, but my brother and aunt and 20 other family members came along for the ride!
Today I am particularly sad. Sad about all of the ugliness in our world. Senseless mass murders. Terrorist threats and attacks. Donald Trump. I don’t want to listen to or read about any more hate and negativity. I’m trying to think only of good and happy today, which led me down the path of remembering a few of the amazing people we met on our most recent travels to Italy. This is a story about one of those people.
While there is no shortage of amazing things to explore in the city itself, the whole of Northern California offers treasures easily reached within an hour or two drive from San Francisco. Both the wine country (north-east) and Lake Tahoe region (east) are very popular day trips from the city, however our family decided to take what might be considered the road less traveled on this particular sunny day in November and headed south down Highway 1 along the California Coast. Just a sampling of what we found includes million-dollar views, an abandoned military bunker, a family-friendly pub and a goat farm.
Travel anxiety. It’s real and much more common than you might imagine. My travel anxiety developed after an emergency landing on a domestic flight nearly 20 years ago. Though everything was fine and there were no injuries, that fear took me hostage and kept me from flying anywhere for about 10 years. It was becoming a mother that inspired me to work to overcome my fear, which I did through taking fear-of-flying classes, meditation and – for when it gets really bad – medication.
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is a magnet for locals and visitors alike. With its vintage charm, plethora of artisan food choices and stunning views, what’s not to love? On a recent weekend morning my girlfriend and I packed the kids in the car and headed west for a fantastic afternoon centered around one of the most loved buildings in the city.
Northern California is home to many iconic sights including the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Cable Car, the giant sequoias and Lake Tahoe. While all of those are spectacular and special, it’s what you can explore beneath the Earth that left me in complete awe today.
Our first big international trip as a family was in 2010, and it was immediately following that amazing experience that my husband and I vowed to make family travel a priority. Our goal is to take a big trip overseas every 2-3 years and so far we have been able to achieve that goal. Let me show you how!
Slow travelers will tell you that travel is about the journey and not the destination. Sure, you can take a ten-city tour in the span of 12 days, but I’m fairly confident you will return home exhausted and likely feeling frazzled. I am here to suggest that you slow things down. As in way down.
Long airplane rides, new time zones, jet lag, short attention spans. All of these things are guaranteed when traveling internationally with children. And all of these things seem quite small when compared to the incredible rewards gleaned from traveling together as a family.
While planning our first trip to Europe with our then two and six year olds, a friend strongly suggested that we rent an apartment rather than go the hotel route. I cannot begin to describe the nervousness, the trepidation, the downright fear I felt at the idea of trying to find an apartment.