Because time isn’t real while traveling. What I’m grateful for going into this week:
1. The three of us got to sit together on our flight to San Diego. When we changed our flight last week we couldn’t get seats together, although we were close. Kyle and B had the middle and aisle seats of one row, and I was in the middle seat in the row across the aisle. We had hoped the person sitting between us in the aisle would trade, but he wouldn’t. However, the window seat passenger in Kyle and B’s row never showed up, so I moved. Now, having said that, maybe it would have been better for me if I’d stayed on my own and let Kyle deal with the kid…
2. For our airport lounge membership. We’re not always sure it’ll be “worth” the money, but we eat there before each flight and then we pack food from the lounge onto the flight, and Friday we’ll return to Sea-tac at dinnertime and will head straight to the lounge to get dinner instead of trying to keep B up late to eat after we get home (we have never done this before and confirmed that it’s allowed). We can usually find a little corner to occupy where B can spread out with some toys, and Kyle and I have a couple drinks, and it’s a great, low-stress version of waiting for a flight. I adore the airport lounge.
3. B had a blast at Belmont Park. When he was one year old we took him on one ride there, a little boat ride for small kids, and he loved it. We have an adorable video of him shrieking with joy while riding it. So when we decided to come this time, we went all in on Belmont Park and bought wristbands for two days. We had a lot a lot to lose if he had decided on day one that he wanted nothing to do with the rides. But he loved it, and we did the same few rides about 30 times, and he doesn’t know it yet but we’re going back tomorrow to do it all over again.
4. Our airbnb has a good yard for B. We knew there was a “grown up” outdoor space for hot tubbing and hanging out around a fire after he’s in bed, which isn’t a particularly toddler-friendly space (think fire pit full of little pieces of glass). But there’s a separate yard area, completely enclosed, with absolutely nothing in it and he’s been having a good time hanging out there. It’s also entirely in the shade during the second half of the day, when we’re most likely to be pulling our hair out trying to occupy him. It’s hideous – a mismatched quilt of different-colored patches of astroturf – but he doesn’t know yet about ugly.
5. This has been an active trip. A lot of our recent trips have been to more rural areas to see family, which has its upsides, but it has meant much less walking than we like. Nowhere to go within walking distance, less access to sidewalks where we can walk safely, no public transportation which means driving everywhere, and coordinating with more people with varying interest in walking. We’ve been averaging 20,000 steps a day on this trip. The past couple years we’ve found ourselves returning from trips feeling like Elvis at the end of his life, and we’ve known it’s had something to do with the lack of walking. This trip has really crystalized it for us, though – even though we do our best, we don’t eat the same while traveling as we do at home. We know that and we’re okay with it. Fewer vegetables, more restaurant food, a few too many drinks. Walking a lot somewhat mitigates all that, though. Even with the overindulging, we still feel physically okay if we’re getting all that exercise. It has been really nice to have such an active trip again.
Denise Resting 
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