Travel Plans

Wow, another weekend come and gone, huh? Well, happy Monday, and happy birthday to my dear buddy Jenn! This lady has spunk like no one I've ever seen, and I'm lucky to know her. Hope you have a magical day, Jenn!

Now for a few snapshots of the weekend:

A little yoga 

A new-to-me granola (which I may or may not have put on ice cream...)

Frozen yogurt

Sweet potato and Parmesan truffle fries

First time trying Chobani yogurt

A hike

It was awesome but way too short - ain't that always the case?


This weekend, I spoke with a nice gentleman who found out that Terry and I had been to Europe twice last year and have plans to go again before we have children. To that, he said, "Yes! Definitely do it. Travel as much as you can before you have kids."

British Museum

St. Paul's Cathedral 

Love Rick Steves

In Montmarte in Paris

It's funny how many times we've heard some variation of that statement in the last year. Since our wedding, we consistently receive certain pieces of (often unsolicited but still usually appreciated) advice: Wait awhile before having kids, and travel as much as you can before you have kids.

While we don't have plans to have children too soon, we certainly plan to take that second piece of advice and run with it.

I read once that couples who travel together have healthier relationships overall, likely because they are experiencing new things and bonding over the adventures. Terry and I have every intention of bonding that way as much as possible, before and after having children.

Now that we're married and having kids is no longer "way into the future" as it was when we were dating or engaged, we're getting serious about all the places we want to visit. On our list so far:

• New York, Boston, and D.C. (to celebrate our one-year anniversary)
• Europe one more time (maybe Austria, Germany, and Switzerland next summer?)
• An all-inclusive resort (we're thinking Turks and Caicos)
• Fiji (with Terry's scuba crew) <--yeah, I'm serious, and yeah, I'm freakin' excited! 

We think if we play our cards right and take advantage of some free Southwest flights and hotel points (thank you, rewards cards!), we can squeeze it all in over the next year or two. At that point, perhaps we'll have convinced folks that we've seen enough of the world for now and are ready to take a few years off to get the family started.

Of course, we also both traveled a lot with our families when we were younger, and we have every intention of dragging our kids along on vacations with us once they're old enough. That list includes:

• Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
• Grand Canyon
• Cities such as Seattle, Denver, and Austin that are kid-friendly but exciting to visit
• Kid-centered destinations such as Disneyland, Disney World, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, and Harry Potter World (c'mon, who doesn't want to check that out?!)
• Lake Tahoe for ski lessons

I am crazy about traveling and love planning, taking, and writing about vacations. For now, we're thrilled to be able to see so much of the world and extremely grateful that we have the opportunities to travel together as often as we do. 

You can check out my travel page for destinations we've visited recently and this post for tips on traveling healthy. Enjoy!

What are your must-visit recommendations before a couple has kids? 

What are the best kid-friendly destinations?

Hope you have a great day!