I awoke at 2am in Truckee to the jarring sound of a snow plow clearing the fallen snow from the otherwise quiet streets. I lay in bed, my 18 month-old baby nestled against my neck, and pondered, “Vacation really isn’t what I remember it to be.” The snow plow stopped churning for a moment, but at that same instant, Octavio awakes, sitting excitedly on the bed, staring at the hotel room door, pondering his early morning escape. I continued my train of thought, “When travelling or going on trips with children, the work certainly does tag along.” It was a long night indeed, alternating between the grating noise of the hardworking snow plow, and a baby that refused to stay asleep. I was afraid of having the unfortunate luck of greeting fellow hotel guests in the hallway whose sleep was rudely stolen by my discourteous children. I wanted to hear them say, “Your boys are so well-behaved, and your baby, I didn’t even hear a single peep.” Instead I was afraid they would say, “****!?!”
Despite the realization or reminder that travels with children is very different from the carefree travels of my twenties (and as a young love-struck couple), I always look forward to taking a break from our family’s daily routines and visiting new places. Our getaways, including planning and daydreaming about them, is what keeps my sanity intact. Lucky for me, we have several trips planned for 2010! Our long weekend foray into the snowy town of Truckee was our first for the year. Stay tuned for our itinerary. Happy Wandering!
