2012
That’s the first time I’ve written it. I can hardly believe it, actually.
We rang in the New Year quietly this year, with my best reproduction of Josephina’s “plata typica de pollo,” homemade tortillas, black beans & the works. We burned the remaining inches of our red Christmas candles, reminisced about the past year and made plans for this one.
“I don’t know why it matters what we want to do this year,” Ez teased, with sparkly grey eyes, “The world’s gonna end, you know!”
“No, no, that’s not until December 12, 2012,” Tony joked back, “We’ve got plenty of time!”
One of the best things about family travel and raising our kids the way we do is that they truly believe that anything is possible and that they can dream as big as they want, work hard, and it will happen.
“Would you like to know where we’re going this year?” Dad asked.
“Asia! We already know!”
“But would you like to know exactly where, and when?”
Their eyes sparkled.
Thailand, no later than May.
Excited chatter ensued and spun out of the silk of four young brains came the following list of
“Things we FOR SURE want to do this year!”
- Ride an elephant (“But don’t elephants sometimes go crazy and kill people, Mom?”)
- Get SCUBA certified (Elisha has been patiently waiting for Ez to turn 10 so they can get certified together)
- Dive the Surin Islands National Marine Park
- Celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary on this beach
- Hire a Thai lady to teach me to cook
- Learn to surf on the Andaman Sea
- Learn enough Thai to get around (I’ll ride in a lot of taxis, cab drivers make the best teachers)
- Attend the dragon boat festivals in Laos
- Send a postcard to my nephew from Angkor Wat, like his Dad did for my kids
- Travel part of the Ho-Chi-Minh trail
- Sail between islands in Malaysia
- Light a sky lantern for Yi-Peng
- Snorkel in the South China Sea
- Boat on the Mekong River
- The children, unanimously, want to visit the famous floating market (I’m pretty sure it will be a tourist trap)
- Fly all the way back to the USA in September to wear an Indian Saree in my cousin’s Georgia wedding
From there we’ll branch out across South East Asia and explore, learn and adventure together.
I’m so excited for you! Phuket is a great place to “start Asia”! You’ll love it!
So excited for you guys! You are going to love it! Hope we get to meet you there 🙂
May you savor all those “moments” in Asia. You already have now. Hope you are feeling better Jen.
Oh an elephant ride is on our list too! We are off in 16 more sleeps. Starting in KL. Can’t believe we’re going to miss you!!!
So exciting! I love that you plan to learn Thai from cab drivers! I have learned many things from cab drivers in DC and NYC over the years!
Oh, you will certainly love it. I think the kids are going to go wild there – in a good way!
I think it’s a great list. That is a lot to do in a few months.
And tell Ezra and Tony that if the world ends 11 days after we start traveling I am going to be really pissed!
Sounds so fun! Phuket was one of our favourite places in Thailand. We lived in a hut within walking distance to the beach there. I can’t wait to read about your adventures!!
Sign me up for the elephant ride! So excited for you guys! We’re hot on your trail!
We took our daughter on a Thai elephant ride when she was five, but it was so hot she fell asleep between her dad and me and missed the entire thing. Guess we’ll have to go back and do it again.
We might be in Thailand later this year. Would love to cross paths!
Hi Jenn
Wow, this is exciting. I’ve been meaning to thanks you for writing to me many months ago about my big travel hurdles, portable food blending, and a go-anywhere wheelchair. You’ll be pleased to know we sorted everything out, and have been traveling for 2 months now, currently in Thailand!! You’ll love it. I’m trying to blog about it too, as there is so little about traveling with children and wheelchairs http://www.goinganyway.net
Anyway, thanks again, and I have been enjoying all your posts
Jill