In October 2011 we set off for a glorious week in sunny Greece. (We didn’t know how lucky we were that it WAS sunny–apparently October is usually non-stop rain.) We arrived in Athens late at night and took the airport…
17 Things I Learned . . . On The Plane.
1) Babies do not fly free Internationally. Even on your lap. 2) Sweet little grandmas can be mean. 3) Tattooed leather-clad bikers can be lifesavers. 4) Benadryl is the same thing as Dramamine. Exactly the same thing. At half the…
Rule # 5: Editing aka We’ll Laugh About This Someday
You know the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Robert and Amy are getting married? Remember Ray’s speech about Editing? Yeah. Editing is a really important part of staying sane while traveling. So what do I mean by that, you…
Rule #4: Always Know Where the Ice Cream Is
Some travel lessons (never, ever, ever get on a plane with Cletus without Dramamine) you learn in one trip. Others take years of experimentation, trial and error. Rule #4 is one of those. In any given seven days of travel,…
Trip Report: New Zealand 2011
One of the delightful things about living in Asia is that you are close to New Zealand. And by close, I mean, of course, only a 20 hour plane ride instead of a 36 hour plane ride. But hey, that…
Rule #3: The First Day is a Loss
I don’t care how early your flight gets in, or how close your destination is to the airport, or how short your trip is and how important it is to cram in every last experience you can. Just accept it…
Trip Report: Beijing — Practice Makes Perfect.
This one is not quite a trip report so much as an ‘Ideal Itinerary.’ Over our four years living in Beijing, we played host to many guests of all ages and family sizes. As the designated Family Tour Guide, I…
Rule # 2: You Don’t Need All That Stuff
Travel light. I mean it. Especially on the plane. Schlepping two backpacks, a car seat, a stroller, two carry-ons and a diaper bag through airport security screening clearance is enough to exhaust any traveler before they even begin. You really,…
Trip Report: Costa Rica 2013
When we decided on short notice to head out on vacation in March, we knew we wanted somewhere warm and sunny. A long, hard Midwest winter was starting to drive us all crazy, and we were craving sun and heat…
Rule #1: This is Not Their Mother’s Trip To Europe
The first thing you need to know when traveling with your kids is that this is Not Your Vacation. If you have never been to Paris, you may have been creating a dream trip in your mind for years, or…