As in Iowa? By Amy Friedman Before one enters into the universe of parenthood, going on a vacation may include an exotic locale with beaches, lounge chairs, alcoholic drinks served with tiny umbrellas and orange wedges, and decisions ranging from where to have dinner to which bikini to wear to which pool party. After the baby arrives, a vacation consists of a grocery store trip by yourself, unencumbered by diaper bags and cereal aisle tantrums. Escaping the chaos for at least a short time becomes a goal in itself; the destination can be errands, a root canal, or protesting a parking ticket that you would have paid without a second thought prior to the child's arrival, but one that now you have decided to fight in court simply because it allows you an excuse to hire a babysitter and to drive in the opposite direction. The impulse to flee does not stop once infancy passes, as each stage of childhood brings with it its own unique, nervefraying difficulties that leave you eyeing the door more
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