Picture this: Crazy life, two little kids, an energetic pup, a hardworking husband. At the end of the day, all work has been completed, laundry has been folded, floors swept, and bottoms wiped umpteen times. And yet there’s still that fabulous vacation you’re so looking forward to that has not been planned. At all. Still. It’s your anniversary trip; you’re excited! And you should be! But why is it so hard to find the time to plan it? Who has the energy to put into it after a long day when all you really want to do is flop onto the couch and *maybe* make it through one episode on Netflix, which, let’s be honest, is most nights.
Could this be you? It was certainly us. Many vacations are big-picture planned months in advance, perhaps just the dates and location, while the details that could make it magical are neglected indefinitely.
We used to take a big trip for our anniversary every year. We’ve been to lots of fantastic places. Then we had kids. Two of the most adorable, curly-headed little boys you’ve ever seen. And we love them, wouldn’t trade them for the world. But pause went the anniversary trips, and enter sleepless nights (for me), long days, and some amnesia regarding what we used to do in our free time before we had children.
The transition from the planning of one amazing trip to blogging was the culmination of a number of things I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I’ve been on the hunt for an outlet that combines my passions and my strengths. I thrive when organizing, planning, prepping, and any synonyms thereof. I love writing. For years, my mom has proposed every now and then that I draft a novel, start a journal on our travels, blog about our child rearing escapades, write about our expat experiences… anything! It was never the right focus though, at least not at the time. And finally I love traveling, having adventures and new experiences. There is so much to learn outside of my own home, culture, preconceptions!
After being back from Italy for only a few weeks, I’d already passed off plenty of Italian travel advice to several folks eager to learn from our travels in order to benefit their own. I realized that many people are in much the same position we were in: big plans, busy lives, and perhaps with not quite the energetic high I get from executing a well-planned itinerary. I LOVE planning a vacation. Yours, mine, it hardly matters. The thrill at finding the perfect things to do, at just the right spots on your trip with opportunity for spontaneity to work its magic – it’s practically indescribable! (Want my help researching or planning? I’m glad to provide it! Please send me a note via my contact page!)
And thus, this blog, Skyscrapers & Sandy Toes, was born!
Skyscrapers & Sandy Toes gets its name from our ideal vacations: his and hers favorite places to travel as it were. Or in our case actually, hers and his. I crave the excitement and busyness and learning that a new city brings, while my husband would rather bask in the shady sun on the beach, not a hint of an itinerary in sight (gasp!).
Iām thankful for frequent encouragement from my mom for many years to write (something! anything!), eager cheering on from my dad (always, for anything), and the faithful support from my husband to follow my dreams. And hopefully patience from our two adorable boys as we figure this out together as a family.
* Photo credit: Pamela Banegas Photography. She took a full photo; we just don’t share our children’s photos online, but I promise they’re adorable.
This is FANTASTIC!! Way to GO!
Thank you š