Would You Take a Break From Traveling?

Where are we going this summer, you ask? Nowhere. We’re staying home all summer.

Actually we’re staying home all year.

Back in January I decided I didn’t want to travel in 2017, and so far I cannot be talked out of it. That means no summer trips, we’re roasting our own Thanksgiving Turkey, and then we’ll ring in 2018 fast asleep in our own beds in good ol’ Redwood City.

Does that seem totally crazy to you? Yes, I can tell by the look on your face. And it’s fair. Restricting your travel is usually the result of bad news: you can’t afford it, your health is failing, you’re a refugee and America won’t let you in, etc. In our case, by the end of 2016 I felt like I had been drowning for six months, and I wanted a break. I want things to just be easy for a little while. I am happiest when my kids stick to their routines. I like it when they nap. I like it when they’re comfortable enough to play on their own. So even though it's weird, I am happy staying home right now.

I think part of the reason it feels so crazy is because world travel is such a prominent feature of modern life. It’s inspiring and expanding and refreshing and sexy and gosh darn it, it’s cheaper than ever. Traveling with kids, even, is wonderful. The more kids travel the better they get at it. Families who vacation together have better memories and are closer in adulthood. Children exposed to new places and experiences have better brain development. And it almost goes without saying that staying home does not provide the best experience for your Instagram followers. ;)

It’s been a change of pace for us, especially as summer begins, so I’m trying to do a better job of planning our weekends at home. I even think we have some great stuff lined up for the summer, but I’m looking for more summer suggestions.

If you weren’t going to travel at all, what would summer look like for you? (in my case, it’s what does summer taste like).

b perry

Five Favorite San Luis Obispo Moments

Right before we go on vacation, always, I think I'm a genius. I research, I have options, and I truly believe that the vacation will be perfect. Not in that "hopeful and optimistic" way, in that "pride cometh before the fall" way.

Chris and I hoped San Luis Obispo would be the perfect place for a family vacation before the holidays, and it ACTUALLY WAS the perfect place for a family vacation. Now, a super picture-heavy collection of my five favorite moments.

  

1. Arriving at The Madonna Inn 
We chose San Luis Obispo because I have this theory that while we're traveling with little kids, I need to optimize for the place where they sleep. The most important things for me are 1) the kids need their own sleeping space and 2) there have to be kid-friendly activities on site.

Favorite Five Victoria Moments

After Seattle, we took the ferry to Victoria. It was Jack's first international trip, and my first time in my Grandma Horman's homeland. When we first arrived, I was just grateful to step off that boat with my bruised and battered worldview that "I don't get motion sick." Then we checked into our hotel and we never wanted to leave. But we were only there for 24 hours. So we did leave. 24 hours later.

1. Magnolia Hotel and Spa
These wonderful people gave us an early check in to an upgraded room, and the first hour in Victoria was bliss because I was so deliriously excited. The view, the bathtub, the chocolates, the crib, the central location, the lunch recommendations, the many elderly guests who fawned over Jack, the staff who insisted that no one complained about Jack crying at 2:00 in the morning. I wished we spent the entire week in this superlative room.

2. Red Fish Blue Fish 
Best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Full stop.

Favorite Five Seattle Moments

Last week we went to Seattle, and now I feel like I understand all my friends from Seattle a little bit better (I’ve never travelled anywhere and thought that). For those lucky ducks who follow Chris’ hilarious blog, you know it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns for the Perrys, but it did have some great moments.



1. Eating freshly fried mini-donuts in Pike Place Market
Our first stop of the trip was lunch at Pike Place. Before we settled into a couple Beecher’s grilled cheeses, we impulse bought donuts from a little stand. Maybe they were delicious, I have already forgotten, but we cherished those omg-I-finally-have-food- in-my-mouth donuts. It was a sweet, private moment, even though we were surrounded by commotion and neon and fish and cherries. My senses were completely overwhelmed, and it was completely wonderful.

2. The Seattle Public Library
There is one point of intersection in the Venn diagram of Chris’ low points and Brittney’s high points, and it’s the Seattle Public Library. I could have spent hours reading under those windows, but apparently it’s a different experience when you have a boisterous, beautiful nine-month old strapped to your chest.

New Year's in Wyoming

Every year for four years I promised Chris that we would ski Grand Targhee over Christmas break. Every year I really meant it, and every year I really didn’t make the effort to go. So maybe I’m too lazy to go skiing, but at least I’m also a liar about it. Wait.

This year my parents rented a cabin about twenty minutes away from the resort, and they got everybody a ski pass for Christmas. We played games, ate comfort food, and for once we actually went to Targhee. Most importantly, on New Year's Eve, we went to bed at 9:00 p.m. because I had an utterly unexplainable aversion to ringing in the New Year at midnight. Oh, no no, it’s because sleep is awesome, and I have a teeny tiny baby. Explained.

britt

p.s. My dad took both of these pictures, and I love them so much. Isn't he good?

Going to Hawaii With A Wee Baby

A few months ago I found roundtrip flights to Hawaii for $300, and we made a split-second decision to just go for it. We felt like we were being crazy, but it turned out to be a great trip. Before we left we made a list of things we might like to do, and then every morning we gauged how much we were up for, and we went over the list looking for the day's activities.

And now, a lengthy post of my top ten favorite moments of our trip to O’ahu with Jack.

1. Waikiki Beach. My favorite moment of the entire trip was on Friday afternoon, when all three of us very, very slowly walked into the ocean. I held Jack, and Chris held Jack’s hands, and we backed into Waikiki beach. The whole process was quiet and sweet, and by the time we were all up to our belly buttons in the water, we were smiling and giggling. This was Chris’ idea (I resisted all afternoon), and I’m so glad we did it together.

Failure at getting two of Chris. Otherwise a total success of a picture. Another favorite picture on Instagram

eventual success

2. Dole Plantation Hedge Maze. I unapologetically admit that my second favorite moment was a tourist trap. We did the hedge maze at the Dole Plantation, and I loved every single second. Because Chris was in charge, it took us a little less than 45 minutes. We would still be lost if I had been in charge.

3. Our Celebrity Baby at BYU-Hawaii. The greatest tragedy of this vacation is that I didn’t document my third favorite moment. We had lunch with one of the young women from our ward who is a student at BYU-Hawaii. While we were on campus, a group of Japanese tourists chased us down saying, “Aloha! Aloha! Aloha!” then they pointed to Jack and motioned that they’d like to take a picture with him. We said yes, and all ten of them surrounded Chris, peace signs blazing, and took a selfie. This one moment has endeared the entire country of Japan to us for the rest of our lives.

Cabo

Our trip to Mexico did two important things:
     1. Let us nap during the day
     2. Strengthened my resolve to have our family picture taken with a mariachi band

We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva in Cabo, where we were relaxed and filled with pineapple. There were nice pools, beaches, tacos, fruit. It was your standard beachy resort vacation EXCEPT on one of the nights there was a party on the beach with a mariachi band and then fireworks. I love mariachi bands so much. One of our longest running jokes is how bad I want to take a family picture with a mariachi band.

view of El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

View of the party from our hotel room

I originally thought we should do this with a marching band... and we would stand in the middle of them? But Chris informed me I was being crazy, and I could never talk him into that. But if we have a Cinco de Mayo party or something? And happened to take a picture with the mariachi band? Okay, it’s weird, but it’s happening. Also? I’m not totally crazy here. Somebody at J Crew had a similar idea not that long ago. Sure it’s a jazz band, so it’s not the exact same thing, but it’s close enough. We’re doing it. 

britt

^^ same ^^ same ^^

Chicago Botanic Gardens

omg those midwestern skies

February 2010 was the winter of the Snowpocalypse in Washington, D.C., and I swear the sun hadn’t shone in three hundred years. On a couple especially dreary Saturdays I would buy a Good Stuff strawberry shake and walk through the miserable cold over to the National Botanical Gardens. I sat by myself in the orchid exhibit and hummed “Here Comes the Sun” (like a crazy person) while I finished my shake. It was humid and warm, and for a few minutes I pretended it was summer. 

I love botanical gardens because they always remind me of a bright spot in that “long, cold, lonely winter.”

Anyway. We visited Chris’ brother in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend. We always love spending time with Megan and Jeremiah - they are so funny - and lucky us, they’ve been members of the Chicago Botanic Gardens for three years.

Three of the five Chicago Perrys

Hannah and Jeremiah walking through my favorite tree tunnel

Those gardens were definitely a highlight of our weekend together. The grounds are enormous, and the variety of plant life is incredible. There was so much color and life and it smelled amazing. I especially loved the arid desert greenhouse and the vegetable gardens. I had a giant stupid grin on my face the entire time we were there.

britt

p.s. This is my favorite picture from the trip because I love Zeke's little hand covering his face. He didn't like to have his picture taken... yet somehow I snuck him into all of my pictures. Worst aunt ever.

The Breakfast Club

Last week we came home after being in England, Denmark, Ireland, and Iceland. Those weeks away from home made law school and the bar feel like a lifetime ago, which is to say, we returned rejuvenated and excited about the future.

My favorite part of the entire trip happened – no surprise – while eating. In our first week out, we had brunch at The Breakfast Club. I cannot overemphasize how hipster this place is. Mismatched chairs, vintage signs and board games, a random upright piano, retro kitsch everywhere… but I DIDN’T EVEN CARE because I was so happy. Our darling waitress brought us French toast, a stack of pancakes, eggs Florentine, muesli, and a pitcher of fresh orange juice. So we spent a glorious hour eating every bite of that breakfast-for-four-for-two, and singing along with Carole King, the Beach Boys, the Carpenters, and practically every other oldies song I know.

When we have people over to eat at our house, I want them to feel exactly like I felt in the Breakfast Club. We probably won’t have 70’s sing-a-longs (though that would clearly be awesome), and we probably won’t have muesli, but I hope they feel happy and comfortable and full and loved.

britt

p.s. If you want to see an astonishing amount of our pictures, you can check out an album that Chris made over here. And here’s a list of my top eleven favorite things we did:

1. The Breakfast Club (London)
2. Standing at the top of Slemish Mountain (Ireland)
3. Hiking toward the glacier behind Skógafoss + searching for dinner afterward (Iceland)
4. Facetiming with my dad while snacking on Franske Vaflers (Copenhagen)
5. Spending 15 freezing, beautiful minutes watching the Northern Lights (Iceland)
6. Borough Market picnic (London)
7. Meeting up with Chris’ old co-workers for drinks (London)
8. Seeing Christus Consolator (Copenhagen)
 9. Wandering through the Dark Hedges (Ireland)
10. The Giant’s Causeway (Ireland)
11. The Blue Lagoon (Iceland)