Wanderlust.

Before we had kids, my husband and I prided ourselves on being the kind of people who would travel anytime, anywhere, with little more than a bathing suit, a surfboard and a toothbrush. We have stories that range from being trapped in chest deep snow, while wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top after a 7 hour hike in the middle of the Swiss Alps, to being stranded in a bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere Mexico, while a huge hurricane was heading right our way, leaving us to boil pasta by candlelight for 3 days after the owners left. With what little resources we had, we did as much traveling as we could and would often lay around dreaming and plotting what our next adventure would be.

Then we had kids. 

During the LM's first 6 months we tried to do as much traveling as we could, visiting three different continents in a span of three months, only coming home to pack and re-pack for the next trip. While we all survived, I am pretty sure I aged about 30 years worrying about sleep schedules, layovers, and red eyes. As much as we wanted to be the kind of parents who threw our kid in a backpack, and set off for the next great escape, we soon learned that when it came to going anywhere with our little ones, we are just not that flexible. As in, we travel with 3 noise machines, 5 lovies, a DVD player and a back-up computer for when the DVD player dies, plan everything around nap/bed time, and will only stay if we all have our own bedrooms, kind of flexible (like a board.) For me I live and die by my kid's routines, and I will go anywhere for any period of time so long as that routine can remain almost exactly the way it is at home (oh, and ONLY after the baby is sleeping through the night.) This is why you will often find us in Costa Rica (minimal time change, beach, pool, dark quiet bedrooms for nap) or California (ditto) or visiting friends or family who truly understand what it means to travel with kids in tow. 

Basically we have become boring travelers.... for now. 

Things certainly are getting easier now that the LM is bigger and we are already planning a trip to South Africa with him next year (leaving baby Gray behind, sad face) and I know in just a few short years we will again be able to explore the world without having to be so regimented once both the boys are over 5, and before they are too cool to hang out with us. Until then, I will have to settle for dreaming about being the kind of parent who can just let it all go, who would take my kids around the world, letting them learn from the people they meet, and the things that they see. 

For now, I will have to live vicariously through the Goodwin Project. I found this amazing blog though another local blogger, Sweet Mama Jane. After one click I was obsessed, and I now find myself on their site every day, looking longingly thorough their pages of gorgeous pictures, detailing what is going to be a one year trip around the world. Did I mention they are doing it all with two VERY young kids in tow? Oh, to be that adventurous. Funny enough, the Momma, Dazie, was one of my idols growing up. She was the face of Roxy, and when I was in high school, surfing, I longed to be as cool as she was. Looks like some things never change. 

Just look at some of these images from their trip thus far. (I couldn't even begin to pick a favorite)

I must say I was more than happy to see that we are not the only ones who travel with a lot of "stuff."

Here is a trailer for the movie that they are filming of their journey. Be careful, after you watch this, you might want to sell all your possessions and book that around the world ticket before Christmas. Don't think this thought hasn't crossed my mind more than 1000 times since my first viewing. 

The Goodwin Project from Avocados and Coconuts on Vimeo.

Talk about some serious wanderlust. I'm dying to see where their next stop will be and now am itching for our next vacation. Maybe when I am having a panic attack over flight delays, I will think back to this brave family, and know that if they can do the world... we should at least be able to survive a little more time in an airport.