Find the simple pleasures in life.
3. Do your research- find hotels near playgrounds or parks, locate the nearest grocery stores and identify places children can let off steam at the end of the day. And think through every activity so you can plan ahead- if you will need booster seats, horse riding helmets, etc. 4. Keep your eyes open to what is possible. Often it is the nuances of the trip- feeding sparrows French pastries by hand or visiting a candy shop straight out of Willy Wonka- that create life long memories. 5. You don’t need all that stuff. Minimize the toiletries (you can always buy toothpaste locally), wash clothes in the hotel sink, and have your children carry their own backpacks. 6. Spend the extra money when you can make special memories. For example, Stonehenge offers rare opportunities to visit the site at dawn. The additional price was offset by Donna’s pleasure that her daughters were having better access to history and a richer experience. 7. Connect the experience to family or personal history so you can bring the adventure to life. Donna and her girls visited the London home where their great grandmother was married, using an old family picture as a guide. 8. And always remember- you will get rained on, it will be colder/warmer than you anticipated and someone may get hurt or sick. But none of these things should ever stop you.
Find time to unwind - the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik, Iceland. The Joy Ride * October 2011
www.thejoysource.com
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