We Went on Vacation

Well, someone did.
Well, someone did.

As Americans living overseas, we travel the world a lot, but all those trips are connected to our work in some way. We love these adventures, but finding time for a dedicated vacation is not something we do very often. In fact, while we were recently planning a short four-day-trip away, I realized we haven’t been on an honest-to-goodness family vacation since Justus was born.

While we were on the plane, I felt like I had reached a new milestone in life: dad leading his family on summer vacation. We had a good time getting away from the city and our regular routines, but vacation with a three-year-old isn’t a restful or relaxing event in anyway. In fact, taking the boy away from his routine probably caused more headaches than it alleviated. So much so that I hit another milestone stereotype: the irritable dad on summer vacation. It was a real challenge for us both at times.

But.

But I’m also so glad we went. It was nice spending several days solely focused on each other. It was a joy to eat out and avoid meal planning and dishes. It was a blessing to watch Justus experience swimming in the water and playing on the beach.

We bought water wings and a ring because we weren't sure which he'd prefer. He wanted both.
We bought water wings and a ring because we weren't sure which he'd prefer. He wanted both.

We really enjoyed our time together, and we’d love to do it again. But, we decided that next time we need at least one grandma to come along and help us with the boy.

Definitely not sleeping. Just putting sunscreen on his face.
Definitely not sleeping. Just putting sunscreen on his face.

Fujifilm X70. Photos in the water taken with 2016 iPhone SE with waterproof case.