Long Time Coming

There are some things that I have been on my list of Things To Do When I Grow Up since I was old enough to have a list like that, and on a gorgeous spring-like winter day last month, I got to do TWO of them!! 

My dad traveled a lot for work and every once in a while, he would take just one of us kids with him along for the adventure.  The destination wasn't nearly as memorable as the time we shared exploring, navigating, goofing off and eating our way through airports, hotels and new cities. For those few days, not only did I get all of his attention, but he had a way of always making me feel like a valuable contributor to the success of the trip- like trusting me with the map, letting me pick out the groceries or decide how we would spend our free time. Anyways, I love that he did this for us and I've always told myself that when I have kids, I am going to take them on special one on one trips with me too.

One of our first father/daughter trips to Cape Cod. 

And when you have a sister born seventeen years after you, your unconventional sisterhood is full of precious moments, hilarious toddler antics, fun around every corner, lots of love, and at least for me, a whole lot of daydreams about our future.  Emma was one when we took a tour of UC Davis and she was two when I left for college.  Since I wasn't that far away, I went home often to see her, but nothing was quite as special as when she would come to Davis and visit me.  Whether she was here for a few days or just an afternoon, I always loved it when my two favorite worlds would collide.  

And I always told her that someday, no matter where she ended up, that I would come visit her when she was in college. 

Our first Picnic Day at UCD

Hanging out in my old house on Sycamore Lane :) 

***

So....fast forward a decade and a half to last January, and I found myself in the surprising position where I had a son who has been begging to ride an airplane, no nursing babies, a sister who was in college, a weekend that was free for both Sean and for Emma, direct flights from my small airport to her small airport, AND an online sale at Southwest Airlines. With one final nudge from my sweet husband, I made the arrangements.

At first Oliver was really excited, but as the travel date came nearer, he wasn't so sure he wanted to go and we had many tearful bedtime chats about what it would be like.  He is a creature of habit and he likes the predictability of his daily routine and his roles and expectations at home and school. Even though he would be going with me, the idea of breaking out of those comfort zones was hard for him to surrender to.

  

Finally, I just told him that I would be going and that he didn't have to, but there was a ticket for him if he decided to come. The trip was just for fun and if he really didn't want to go, I didn't want to force him.  

So I put the ball in his court and let him decide for himself.  

Luckily for us both, my strategy worked and a few days later, he willingly and enthusiastically agreed to join me for this milestone adventure...hooray!!

Packing one kid for two days was unbelievably easy- especially since he did his own packing!

2 outfits, a baseball cap, a helmet and his football (nestled under his helmet) 

He looks like he's done this a million times, 

but he was 9 months old the last time he was on an airplane!

I don't know what it is about airports, but I love them! 

(and this kid!!)

So far, so good!

For being the super climber/brave big brother/ninja warrior that he is, Oliver is not the biggest fan of heights and he has a tendency to get anxious and very concerned about things that he doesn't fully understand.  One of the many reasons why I wanted to take this trip with him was to give him the chance to experience the whole airport environment (crowds, lines, loud announcements overhead) and to go on a short airplane ride where he could have my full and undivided attention to answer any questions or for reassurance. 

If he is going to hate flying in an airplane, I would much rather find out on a one hour flight than on a six hour one!

But it looks like we won't have to worry about that!! 

From the minute we got on to the minute we got off, Oliver was in heaven.  

We held hands and took off with the sunset, looked out the window until our sodas and pretzels arrived and enjoyed the descent over all the city lights.  It was a flight we will never forget. He even thanked me, very sincerely, a few times for taking him on this trip.  After all it had taken to get him to want to come in the first place, I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying experience.  

We landed, 

got our luggage, 

shuttled over to the car rental place, 

picked out our super cute car 

and drove 30 more miles to bring us to this 

Glorious Moment :)

It was 11 pm by the time we made it to our hotel, 

but our hearts were so happy (and some of us had a free ride) 

so we didn't really mind :)

Demonstrating proper Jumping in Elevator technique

I'm still not quite sure how it is any different from the rest of his life, 

but this six year old sure knows how awesome it is to be on vacation!
We indulged in one episode of Paw Patrol and then one of us fell fast asleep, which was good since it was almost midnight and we had a fun day ahead. 

And we wasted no time getting started:
Pre-7 am swim? Why not?!!

And then it was off to find Emma at her dorm (way up on the third floor) and get the grand tour of her 

Life Away From Home.

It was early on a gorgeous Sunday morning so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Even though it was awkward to pack, bringing the scooter with us was definitely one of my best decisions ever!

I cannot remember what this space was (student union?) but apparently she spends a lot of time here :)

Such a lovely campus full of beautiful buildings and gorgeous trees. And strangely very clean.
 I don't think I ever even saw a leaf on the ground!

Much to Oliver's delight, we stumbled upon an exciting game.  

Softball has gotten so intense since I played!! 

I don't think I would like to play it anymore, but it was fun to watch.  

Go Bulldogs!

So SoCal

Naked Tree

After the tour, we moved off campus and Emma showed me the Starbucks that she goes to and thinks of me :)

And then we explored the rest of this charming town...

We stumbled upon a very random aviary

And enjoyed three of my favorite things:
people watching,
good conversation,
and sunshine
at Ford Park.

 It had been just over 24 hours and I could tell Oliver was really starting to miss his little brother.  He had fun creating a ninja course on this structure, but he kept looking around like he didn't know what to do without his sidekick.  I felt a little sorry for him, but I also knew that it was good for him to stretch out of his comfort zone a little bit. And of course, I love to be reminded that he loves his brother so much.

Matchy-Matchy 

I love this girl!

Then we headed to downtown Redlands.
It's not Davis...but it was a really lovely downtown. I didn't get one block in before I was already making plans to return someday without kids so Emma and I could sip coffee and dilly dally through every shop together.

Apparently, oranges are a big deal around here!

Our local guide took us to her favorite local place to eat.

The food was super good, but eavesdropping on Oliver's phone call from Elliott (who was also missing his brother) was one of my favorite moments of the trip. Oliver had been pretty grumpy for most of the afternoon but he perked right up after hearing from him.

It's why we came. It's why I wanted to share this adventure with you. It's why this trip means so much to me. It's why it's so easy for the three of us to be together. And it's why it's so hard to be apart. 

I am glad you are mine.

Taking Emma back to her home at school. Even in the dark, this place is gorgeous! 

The next day, we enjoyed a leisure morning at the hotel pool before packing up and beginning the adventure back home.
Oliver took some close ups (and I mean close ups!!) of our trusty and adorable rental car.

I'm just glad to see my documenting genes are being passed on!

Speaking of adorable...

The guy next to me on the plane said I had to go here for donuts...so we did!

And since we were on vacation, I told him we had to get something we normally wouldn't get in real life 

(a rule my mom was always very strict about) 

I went with the indulgent yet sophisticated bear claw while Oliver, like any good 6 year old kid, went with the biggest and most bright and artificially colored donut in the whole place.  

I think we were both pretty pleased with our selections. 

And for future reference, the guy on the plane was right :)

After throwing the football around the quad and let's just say one very memorable trip to the Goodwill, we said goodbye to our beloved Emma and then Oliver and I spent the next few hours making our way back up to Davis.

As the monorail pulled into the terminal after our final leg of travel, I could see three very familiar silhouettes waving their cute little arms and holding some very welcoming Welcome Home signs.
And just like that, we were all back together again.

And happy to be that way :)

Especially these two, who held hands the whole way home. 

(while they shared every detail of the 48 hours they spent apart)

Oliver, I cannot tell you how special it was to share this experience with you! I know that you have wanted to go on an airplane ride for a long time and I also know that you were a little bit worried about what it might be like.  I also know that it was hard to leave your brother and sister and your daddy. It is never easy for me to leave them either. But, you chose to be brave and you didn't let your fears keep you from experiencing one of the best things in life: a new adventure!! You should be so proud of yourself!! I know I am very, very proud of you and super glad that you decided to join me.  I know for a fact that I had a much better time because I had you there with me. Thank you for your good attitude, your patience when we had to wait for things, for picking out the perfect rental car for us, for using my phone (and your great memory!) to help me get around a new city, for making it fun to jump in a pool before breakfast, for being friendly to new people and for being willing to just go with the flow.  You are a wonderful travel companion and I hope you get to enjoy visiting many new places in your lifetime...and I hope some of them will be alongside me.  

Emma, you were a gracious host and wonderful tour guide. Thank you for giving us so much of your weekend and especially for making me feel so welcomed and wanted.  I loved getting to see where you go to class and where you eat and all the places where so much of your life is happening these days.  Based on my own college experience, I know that you will have a lot of  fun, face some big ups and downs, make lifelong friendships and do a lot of growing up on this beautiful campus. It was really special to get a peek into your very own life and I am grateful that you were so willing and happy to share it with me.
Thanks for letting me in- I love you so much!!  


And last, but certainly not least, to my dear Sean-
Thank you so much for knowing how much this trip meant to me and for giving me the space and the support to make it happen.

I promise the next getaway will be with you!!