Thursday, May 18, 2017

Yosemite.

One of my greatest dreams for motherhood is to adventure with my kids. I’ve thought a lot lately about what kind of childhood and memories I hope to create for my children, and while they probably won’t remember me as a mom who always had a clean house and a delicious home cooked meal on the table every night, one of my hopes is that they remember me as a mom who took them on adventures, both near and far. 

We not only survived, but also really enjoyed our first traveling adventure as a family of four. To be honest, as this trip approached, neither Matt nor I was looking forward to it. Driving from San Diego to Yosemite with two young kids sounded like torture, only to be matched with another form of torture, lack of sleep, once we arrived. However, we have learned that almost always, it is worth it to just go on the adventure.

Our adventures are different these days. There were no ambitious hikes on this trip, because Everett doesn’t stay in the backpack for long enough anymore, but he can do short hikes on his own, which is a new kind of fun. We travel with a lot more gear these days, just of a different kind. Our lightweight tent and sleeping bags that we used for backpacking right before getting pregnant with Everett are stored away, and our car is instead packed to the brim with baby beds and car seats and diapers and too many changes of clothes, just in case. 

Yet, what we seek is the same. Connection. With each other. With nature. With something bigger than ourselves that we can’t seem to find as easily in the fullness of our daily lives. With something powerful and awesome. It’s as if we need to check out of our normal surroundings and into a place of majestic beauty to reconnect with something deeper within us. And every time we go to the Sierras, we find it and feel refreshed, with a renewed appreciation for each other and ourselves.

While we miss the days of hiking from sun up to sundown or backpacking, there is an incomparable joy in showing your kids places that speak to your heart and adventuring alongside them. 


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