Last week we played outside
every day. It was awesome. Sunny Days with highs in the 50s & 60s in February and a bit of nap rebellion to boot.
Sadly, it ended with an ear ache and a fever in the girl which has lingered and has kept us cooped up a bit this week. We've watched a few videos, read books, made candles, baked brownies, taken long baths, made homemade chest and foot rub, colored, folded laundry, made messes, cleaned up, taken naps, and even had our own "dance parties".
But I'm ready to get out of the house and back to
Denali Shelby Bottoms. February is typically a month of pining for me; longing for travel and adventure. I often get urges to hop on a plane to a tropical and amazing destination with nothing more than our passports, bathing suits, and two ergo baby carriers (with two babes in them).
Reasonably, I don't really dream about leaving without the kids. We had plenty of time to indulge in shoestring non-baby travel before our kids were born. We went to places like: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, Mozambique, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Barbados, etc... the list is kind of long. Each place unique and full of amazing peaks, valleys, shores, you name it. We did things like shark dive, bungee jump, sky dive, horse back ride for days, zip line, deta swamp canoe, herd sheep on steep passes, amazon river boat, snake charm, elephant ride, scuba dive, fly in teeny tiny planes, etc. That list is also kind of long.
Now, I just want the simplicity of a beach and some fancy drinks and our kids playing in the sand. If I could choose it, I'd pick a laid back country where the US dollar still stretches a bit, but is relatively stable and safe. Or somewhere in the US I could drive to in less than a day.
Yes, one day, when our children are older, I'd like to do a year long tour of the US (&maybe some of Canada and/or Mexico) and I'd also love to do a different year (or more) long tour of Europe+. But for now, I'd just like some sand and sunshine, some tasty beverage choices, and a view of the ocean at sunset.