Oh I know what you’re thinking: act like a tourist where I live? It sounds funny, doesn’t it, because being a tourist usually means visiting a place where you don’t live.

I think that you can be a tourist in your own town. I’m sure there are places that are unfamiliar to you – places that you’ve seen but never checked out or places you’ve heard of but never made the effort to visit. In a way it’s good being a tourist because you can be curious about a place without caring about what other people think. To me, it’s great being a tourist in your town because you learn so much about your community and the people in it. You also get great ideas about places to visit when family and friends come from out of town.

I became a “hometown tourist” a year ago. I used to travel extensively for work (and had lots of fun doing it!). I loved visiting new places, many that spoke different languages and had different customs, and get paid for it. Then I took another position within my company (better job, better pay) but the international travel was very limited. Since I no longer had my company funding these trips, I decided to explore my hometown of Los Angeles.

LA is a big place – I’ve heard of people referring to it as a “concrete prairie” (as opposed to New York’s “concrete jungle”) because it just goes on and on. People who’ve been living here all their lives can’t claim to have seen it all – there is always some new development, park, garden, museum, or attraction to visit. In the past year I’ve seen several California Missions, beaches, botanical gardens, museums, and parks. I even saw bison one day when I visited a park on a whim. Sometimes you’ll be surprised by what you find in your own town.

So how does someone become a “hometown tourist”? A good way to start is to pay attention to what your friends, family, or co-workers are doing on weekends. They’ll let you know if they had fun visiting a new place, restaurant, or event. Since they’ve been there they can tell you the best time to go, or the best dish on the menu, or the best place to find free parking (very valuable information here in LA).

Another way to find places to visit is by reading local magazines and newspapers for upcoming events. For example, this weekend the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be performing at Staples Center, and there’s a great article about cheap eats in Southern California. Dollar hot dogs at The Strand sound awfully good right now.

If you still don’t get any ideas from these resources, check out websites that cater to your interests. I love home décor so I frequently visit Apartment Therapy LA for ideas on where to find cool things for the home, as well as local home and garden shows. Just the other week I found out about the Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society’s annual plant show, and enjoyed seeing wonderful displays of cacti and succulents (they are very hardy plants, for those of you that have a black thumb like me). I got to vote for my favorite display, which ended up placing second (it was robbed!) and got an opportunity to buy new plant varieties that aren’t normally sold in nurseries. My husband, who collects succulents, had a field day and bought three new plants.

Lastly, come up with a theme and see where it takes you. Last summer I came up with the idea to visit all 21 California Missions. After visiting a few Missions, and came across places I wanted to visit en route to these Missions. Once I saw the Getty Center overlooking the 405 freeway and thought hey, I’ve never been there before – I should visit next weekend. I did visit the following weekend and was impressed with the architecture, gardens, and art collection. The Getty Center is free to the public, and no reservations are required. You should definitely take advantage if you’re in Los Angeles and have a free afternoon.

Sometimes you just have to go for it – visit those places you’ve always been curious about. Before you know it, planning these excursions will give you something to look forward to every weekend. I’m totally hooked on LA and all the fabulous things it has to offer.

When not exploring her hometown, Abby Canizales can be found wandering the aisles of Target or browsing the J. Crew website for fabulous deals. Abby lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and ridiculously good-looking dog. You can learn more about Abby and her travels by checking out her blog, Speedy Canizales.

For many people, the idea of foreign travel carries the thrill of the exotic. When on vacation in some distant locale, they might sigh, “I could stay here forever!” However, most people do not seriously entertain the notion of living abroad. Naturally, there are practical reasons for this: people’s livelihood tends to depend upon the local market; they balk at leaving behind friends and family; those inscrutable foreign languages give them pause. Yet even if those obstacles do not apply, most people do not leap at the chance to move to another country. There is even a trace of disdain, even contempt, for those who abandon their terra patria for foreign shores. Of course, this disapproval is urbanely concealed behind exclamations of admiration and envy for the footloose wayfarer. Nevertheless, there are those who do elect to expatriate themselves. But why leave everything beloved and familiar behind? There follows a list of what are, from what I have seen, the primary reasons behind the choice to live abroad.*

The Search for Beauty and Opulence

People who fall into this category tend to choose destinations such as London, Paris, Rome, and Athens. They waste no time in sniffing out the best neighborhoods, the most “in” restaurants, and the primo weekend getaways. The seeker of beauty is an ideal tour guide to newcomers, making a beeline to the most impressive monuments, loveliest cathedrals, and most picturesque streets. The Rough Guide is not to be seen near these jet-setters, but ask them for a recommendation and they will whip The Michelin Guide to Restaurants and Hotels out of their Prada bags.

The Historical Pilgrimage

These are the ones you will find sloping around obscure battlefields and crumbly piles of stones, the more arcane the better. Their eyes gleam with the knowledge of famous events which transpired in this building, on that street. In their travel photos, they are not posing at a café table, but squinting beside a cannon. This type of traveler is also well-versed in current events, and tends to cultivate a deep understanding of the host country.

The Save the World Crusade

The most nobly motivated of those living abroad, these individuals are actively involved in improving local hardships. They teach the undereducated, work to guarantee the integrity of the water supply and the flow of electricity to indigent people, and volunteer in orphanages. Among their ranks can be found the expatriates with the best command of the local language. These people have no romantic illusions about their adopted home, no matter how quaint or exotic it may seem at first glance.

The Flight from a Dubious Past

This group is comprised of those who may have had minor brushes with the law in their own country, or are plagued by strings of disgruntled exes, or who have made a painful departure from the proverbial closet (or who intend to do so in their new surroundings). I include also in this category those who never quite fit in at home, and who now are excused and even considered a novelty in their newly adopted country.

The Quest for Women with Whom They Wouldn’t Stand a Chance at Home

I don’t mean to be cynical. I really don’t. But it’s impossible not to notice a pattern: in every developing country where I have lived, there prowl a certain breed of Western man in search of very young, very beautiful, uncomplicated local women who will worship and serve them. Infuriatingly, they tend to find them. Let’s look at the typical profile of one of the men. He is a 50 year old high school teacher, well-educated but awkward and unsuccessful with women. His countrywomen puzzle him, and frankly, he just doesn’t want to work that hard. But once he is abroad, he suddenly discovers that he offers a prized commodity: citizenship of a wealthy country in whose culture women are treated with respect. Svelte young Turks accept drinks from him in clubs. Dainty Japanese beauties giggle charmingly at his plodding conversation. Smouldering-eyed Ecuadorian girls seem to ignore his paunch and thinning hair. These sultry sirens with green cards in their sights offer a refreshingly submissive alternative to their own baggage-laden, critical peers. It is not uncommon for the man not to share more than a handful of words in a common language with his lady love. But she wouldn’t have time for intellectual debate anyway since she will be busy cooking his dinner.

The Redefinition of Self

There is no denying that moving to a foreign country is the ideal forum for changing your identity. I do not refer to using a pseudonym or buying a fake passport. I mean slipping the bonds of the tired old roles you have always assumed among the people who know you. You were a yuppie from the ‘burbs; now you re-emerge as an intrepid adventurer. You were mild-mannered and timid; now you are reborn as an outspoken authority. Your country bumpkin roots are given a newly sophisticated veneer. This is possible with domestic moves, but foreigners are less able to spot the subterfuge. Sometimes it is possible to play the new role so well and for so long that the new persona actually becomes authentic. All expatriates experience the pleasure of added charisma in their new setting. Instead of being one of the crowd as they are at home, they themselves are suddenly the exotic foreigners, and therefore the subject of intense interest.

The Post-Divorce Adventure

Some people have already completed a full cycle of traditional family life in their country before deciding to relocate abroad. My hat is off to these unsinkable souls who turn loss into opportunity. They are sometimes almost at retirement age, never having traveled or done anything more daring than order the spicy noodles in a Vietnamese restaurant. Summoning some inner audacity that perhaps was previously occluded by years of making Halloween costumes and installing crown moldings, they begin to apply for posts in Abu Dhabi and Sierra Leone. Once ensconced in their host country, they tend to be thoughtful observers of the local culture, and often become travelers of tremendous temerity.

“The Beach” Extreme Travel Quest

Members of the ultra-elite “Beach” group are the ultimate off-the-beaten-path travelers. The name I’ve given them is based on the book in which a group of thrill-seekers search for the most obscure location possible in which to live commune-style, and end up on a pristine beach in Thailand that is unfortunately within the territory of a local drug lord. This group has the least in common with those in category #1(those seeking the beautiful and elegant). For the “Beach” set, any destination with running water is too banal. They tend to be snobbish toward the more moderate Rough Guide users, and those who travel in guided groups are beneath their contempt. They pride themselves on living in the least desirable corners of the globe, and on doing it cheaply. Here are the scruffy twenty-somethings who head for Beirut and Bogotá, who ascend the Andes without the donkeys, and who make their own way through Burmese rainforest using only a box of toothpicks and some string. Sometimes you get the distinct feeling that it is all about being able to tell the story afterwards. Although the “Beach” travellers tend to be arrogant about their intimate knowledge of their host country, they tend to associate mostly with each other rather than making friends with the local people

The Pursuit of the Exotic

The unfettered wayfarer of this genre does not seek to change the world, only to explore its remotest corners. He craves the peculiar and the novel, which takes him down unfrequented paths. However, he differs from the “extreme traveler” in that the experience need not be grubby or life-threatening. This romantic gypsy is more likely to pack a sketchbook and journal than crampons and mosquito netting. Although well-meaning, he runs the risk of viewing the quaint indigenous people of the world as a sort of human zoo, the stranger the better, ignoring the fact that they might be eager to escape their limited horizons for a less arduous life.

The Endeavor to Learn a Foreign Language

This may be the most commonly cited rationale for living abroad. However, it is usually only part of the reason. Most likely, a mild interest in perfecting one’s linguistic skills thinly veils a desire for romance with the locals. Nothing is more common in Latin American and Spain than the “intercambio,” a dubious system of meeting strangers for coffee or drinks with under the guise of practicing Spanish (you) and English (them). Predictably, the participants are all single, and the sessions are overwhelmingly co-ed. Not that there is anything wrong with that. This group might well take credit for advancing the cause of international relations at the most intimate level.

Well, there you have it: the answer to the question asked to us twenty times per year. But surely it isn’t so cut and dried, you might justifiably say. Surely everyone does not fall neatly into a single group? That is certainly true. Nobody of my acquaintance during fourteen years abroad fits any of these stereotypes exactly, although many do have a primary motivation. But what do we all have in common? To make our home in a fabulous vacation spot? To leave our comfort zone and seek the extraordinary? To see first-hand how other people live and to face our role in this world, be it good, bad, or ugly? To leave behind our old lives and become someone new, even speaking a different language? I think any of these would have been enough reason for me. The truth, in my case, is a little bit of all of them.

* In my list, I do not include people who are obliged to live in a foreign country not of their choosing, such as members of the armed forces and spouses of business people.

Joanna Miller has been teaching abroad (Turkey, Peru & Spain) since 1997 and has no immediate plans to return to the US outside of family visits.

Once you register on the site and get started with planning your trip, it’s as easy as forwarding your information to the site. It will then “automatically organize your air, hotel and car bookings into one itinerary, and add daily weather, local maps, directions, travel guides and more.” There’s a notes space for including restaurant reviews or reservations, sightseeing options, venue maps, you name it. You can even check your flight status and print your boarding passes directly from your itinerary. Using their TripClipper will also allow you to file away notes and other various information – things you might otherwise carry on a scrap of paper attached to your various confirmations or leave in your browser bookmarks – and add it directly into the itinerary.

Because it’s online, you can access it from any web browser. Better still, when you print you have all the necessary information, contact numbers, addresses, and confirmation codes, all without all those blank extra pages. We have two trips coming up and I’ve been using it this past week as I set up all of our reservations. It’s so easy to use and even simpler still to share itineraries with family and friends.

If you can’t take my word for it, GeekSugar named it one of its Websites of the Day saying that “this is one of those websites that will amaze you with its talents.” Tripit also made the TechCrunch40 list of top new start ups and the UK Telegraph says that “Tripit has the potential to be the next big thing!”

For a full demonstration of all that Tripit can offer, be sure to check out their demo.

On a Friday in October of 2002, a friend of mine whom knew that I had once worked for a particular U.S. Senator called. She said: “I don’t know what’s going on with Senator W, but I just heard something about an accident.” I thanked her for her call and I immediately went to CNN.com. What I saw there was something I will never forget. In big white letters on a dark red background were the words “SENATOR W DEAD.” I just stared at the screen in disbelief.

As it turns out, the Senator died in a plane crash, along with his wife, his daughter, my direct boss in his office, and two other campaign assistants. The Senator had been on his way to attend the funeral of a long-serving State Senator in a remote part of my home state. The plane went down in some woods, short of the runway. All aboard were lost.

The difficult weekend that followed was spent commiserating with former co-workers and getting all of the funeral information. I made plans to fly out on Monday afternoon.

On Monday, I checked in at the airport and got to my gate. Always a nervous flier, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I knew that if I skipped the funerals of my friends, due to my uneasiness about the flights, I would always regret my decision. I sucked it up and boarded the plane.

The first minutes of the flight were routine. We took off, and reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Then, from the right side of the plane, came a horrible noise. Do you know the sound a car makes when it won’t ‘turnover?’ That is exactly the sound that began emanating from the right engine. Over and over the pilots attempted to restart the engine. RRR, RRR was the only response that was forthcoming. On top of this, not a word came from the cockpit. I was beginning to get very concerned. It also did occur to me that I was on a plane, flying to the funerals of people who had died in a plane while flying to a funeral. The irony did not escape me.

I should mention that there was a priest sitting directly in front of me. The tears (for me) did not start until the lady across the aisle from him, offered forth the young baby in her arms and asked the Father, “Do you think we could baptize him now?”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Silent tears started streaming down my face. The people to my left had never flown before and they were befuddled as to why I was upset. I didn’t want to tell them, of course, but it was hard just sitting there, crying softly to myself. I have never felt more terrified, or more alone.

Finally, after what seemed like 1000 minutes, but was probably more like 20, the pilots came on and announced that they thought the ‘oil was low’ in the right engine and we were going to make an emergency landing in Nashville. I will tell you that the only reason I didn’t completely freak out is that the pilots said ‘Nashville.” If they had said ‘East Greenville regional airport” or “that field over there” I would have dissolved into full on sobbing.

However, I was able to keep the public drama to a minimum and thankfully, on the one engine we had left, we landed safely in Nashville. Someone also apparently thought our dead engine was on fire, because as soon as we stopped, the fire trucks came out on mass to greet us. Thankfully, there was no fire, and we were loaded off in Nashville to rebook to our destination.( I later confirmed that our engine had indeed died, as I was seated on the next flight near one of the pilots from the first flight.) At any rate, I continued to my destination and attended the funerals of the Senator and my friends. I flew back home (very nervously) a few days later. I haven’t flown since.

Many people who hear I don’t fly say: “You know flying is safer than driving don’t you?” For me, that’s not the issue. I have a sense of my own mortality and I do accept that one day I am going to die. What’s most difficult for me to get past is the *time* that we passengers on that troubled flight had to contemplate the end of our lives. Were we going to crash or weren’t we? Should I call my family, my friends? Is this the end? That kind of drawn out contemplation was and is more than I ever want to experience again.

So, I am now ‘grounded.’ Of course this comes with its drawbacks, (trips are not usually quick ones and I certainly don’t have any travel to Asia planned in my future.) However, the grounded lifestyle is not without its advantages. Since I stopped flying, I have seen more of America that I ever dreamed. I had flown ‘over’ the St. Louis Arch countless times, but driving through St. Louis afforded me the opportunity to actually see it for the first time.

Hubby and I have also turned all trips into multi-stop itineraries which allow us to visit and spend precious time with family and friends. Going somewhere, for us, is no longer all about the destination, it’s also about the planned stops that we take along the way. A 2006 trip to Vermont for a wedding included a stop in Pennsylvania to see my husband’s grandfather and a stop in Washington DC to spend time with one of my dearest college friends. Hubby was even able to work in a stop in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (home of the PGA Tour) to play a golf course he had long dreamed of experiencing.

There is also, of course, the famous family trip to Vail, Colorado where despite being mocked for driving thousands of miles, hubby and I were the only couple who arrived at our destination on-time, (missed flights, delayed flights and luggage woes did in the rest. heh heh.)

Therefore, in the words of Willie Nelson, “I just can’t wait to get on the road again.” I never worry about the luggage I bring or the amount of fluids I pack, (ha ha,) and I always see something new and interesting. I may not get a complimentary drink or a free bag of peanuts during my trip, but the extra time spent with hubby, family and the scenery of America seems like more than a fair trade to me.

-nylons73

The next time my daughter traveled by plane, we were with a large group and I had many adult hands to help. At six months old, she was becoming a champion traveling companion. We took another trip, just the two of us, when she was about nine months old. The same advice that I posted earlier still continued to hold true.

Fast forward to toddlerhood. Boy, oh boy, was this traveling experience different than any in her infant days. Most of the advice I gave about security and luggage is still spot on. But no longer was she content to be held for hours while we flew. Oh no, she was miserable, wanting nothing more than to get down and walk.

For sure, she wasn’t the most well behaved child, in fact someone probably later told a story about a screaming child on their flight. I tried my best – we read a lot of books and played with some small toys. Still, all of that got old quickly for her – after all, the world is so much more interesting to her right now than sitting on moms lap for four hours.

If there was one thing that I learned this time around, it’s this. If you’re going to nurse and are on Southwest (or any of the choose your own seat carriers) nurse from the start. That really does send people right on by (you might end up with an extra seat) and those that it doesn’t deter are going to be fine with you nursing. I didn’t do this on one leg of the trip and ended up sitting next to a young man. Boy, oh boy, his face sure did turn red when he realized what I was doing, even though I was using a Hooter Hider!

So, no, it wasn’t easy traveling alone with a toddler. It’s not something that I will look forward to in the future, but I know that it will be done again. Having family who live many states away makes it inevitable. Thankfully, most passengers around me were fairly sympathetic and I didn’t get too many dirty looks.

JennyLou

Luggage
Originally uploaded by Cake Walk.

• No waiting in line at the airport to check and retrieve luggage. That’s vacation time wasted! Also, no waiting in line to report lost luggage, which occurs so frequently these days.
• No dragging six bags up and down flights of stairs or on and off trains. One bag gives you freedom and mobility.
• No digging through your bags wondering if you brought a certain item and where it is. With just one bag, you know what you’ve got and where to find it.

Here’s my packing process. Before each trip I write up a “pack list” It specifies exactly what I’m going to need to put in my bag. I plan an outfit for each day and a short list of other miscellaneous items that I’ll need to pack. Following this procedure pretty much ensures that you’ll avoid that bleary-eyed moment the night before your flight when you start throwing everything and the kitchen sink into your suitcase because you are tired, overwhelmed, and don’t really know what you’ll need. If you make a list in advance and think it through, you’ll take less stuff with you. Some important things to keep in mind:

• Don’t pack a completely different outfit for each day. Jeans should be worn a couple of times. Same with sweaters and tops. If things get dirty, nearly all hotels have laundry services. However, take extra underwear and plenty of simple tank tops to wear under those clothes. Those are not things you want to be re-wearing or worrying about washing. Fortunately, they’re small and don’t take up much space.
• Don’t pack multiple formal outfits. Unless you’re planning a trip that will involve endless galas and five star restaurants, one pair of heels and one little black dress will go a long way. Vacations are always more casual than you think they’ll be. Half the time I never end up wearing the dressy outfit I bring.
• Outterwear is a space hog. Limit yourself to one coat that will work with all your clothing. Also, wear this on the plane so it doesn’t take up space in your luggage
• Guidebooks: Limit yourself to one or two. If there’s any other information you want to take along, photocopy it and tuck it into a file folder (along with your itinerary and airline confirmation). That will take up a lot less space.
• Clean out your purse. All that stuff you carry around with you on a daily basis does not need to come with you on the trip.
• Don’t bring your entire wallet. Pare it down to your ID, a little cash and a couple of credit cards and put them in a small card holder. You don’t need all that other stuff on your trip and shouldn’t risk having it lost or stolen.

Other things you don’t need:

• Hairdryer (They’ll have one at the hotel.)
• Alarm clock (Use your cell phone’s alarm or have the hotel give you a wake up call.)
• Beach towel (Your hotel will have plenty.)
• Laptop (There’s always an internet caf√© where you can check email. Plus, time away from your computer is half the joy of a vacation!)
• Multiple purses (Bring one bag that will work for any occasion, plus one small clutch for evenings.)

The two areas where women chronically overpack:

• Toiletries: Bring travel sized packets of Advil or Aspirin, Band-aids, Neosporin and anything relating to a specific medical condition you may have. Don’t bring jumbo bottles, bring small sizes only. Every country has pharmacies where you can get things you need, but it’s always good to have basics on hand. Where you should cut back is on the cosmetics. On vacation, you don’t need all the cosmetic products that you would at home. You don’t want to spend all your vacation time in the bathroom getting made up anyway. Think simple. When you’re traveling with carry-on luggage only, you’re limited to just one small Ziploc bag of liquids. This means your moisturizer, foundation, face wash and hair creme all need to be in travel sizes and you’re not going to have a lot of room for other liquid products. Prioritize what you need. Hotels always come stocked with lotion and shampoo, so you don’t need those. Do you really need eye makeup remover, or will a basic face wash do the trick? Why not pick up some conditioner after you arrive at your destination instead of packing it? Limit yourself to one small cosmetic bag- you can do it!

• Shoes: I love my shoes and it pains me to pack just two pairs. But this is absolutely what you should do. If I’m going to Europe, I take one pair of black walking shoes (and wear them on the plane since they’re bulky) and one pair of simple black heels for dinners and special occasions. That’s really all you need. If heading to the beach, I wear flip flops on the plane and pack a pair of simple heels and some water shoes. Again, that’s all you’ll really need. If you start packing lots of shoes, you just can’t travel light. Make sure you have one comfortable pair and one dressy pair and leave it at that.

Free yourself from the burden of too much luggage. Learn to travel light and you’ll enjoy travel even more!

Rosebud

Tis the season for summer festivals (at least where I live). I’ve learned that one of the many benefits of living in the Chicago area is all of the festivals that kick off in early June. My husband and I just spent 8 nights patronizing quite a few of these festivals. We’ve done this for years. The big difference this year… we did it with a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old in tow. Quite different than the booze fests we were used to. Just how different you ask? Well, let’s see…

Transportation
Before attending festivals with children, my husband and I would either walk or take a train to the festivals. Both of us indulged in alcoholic beverages and it wouldn’t have been safe to drive. Walking several miles with two kids in tow, or worrying about whether one or both kids would tolerate a train ride, we chose a designated driver each night, packed up the SUV with the following: a Sit and Stand stroller, a quilt, folding arm chairs in shoulder bags, a variety of toys, snacks, water, sun hats, sunglasses, diapers, extra outfits, and a baby carrier. A far cry from our, “Do you have your ID?” checklist days.

Food and Beverage
In prior years, DH and I would survive festivals on a liquid diet until said liquid diet fulfilled its duty and we gorged ourselves on potato chip ribbons, cheeseburgers and funnel cakes. To the beer vendors’ dismay, we were a little more modest with our alcohol consumption this year. Our daughter was quite fond of chicken on a stick with fried rice and every toddler’s favorite treat, hot dogs. While my husband and I enjoyed our fair share of alcohol, we took turns each evening so that we’d have a designated driver. Not as much fun being the only buzzed person at the party.

Midway Games
I’m a sucker for the squirt gun at the target games. I have a very competitive personality and if I do say so myself, I kick ass at that game. I didn’t get to play this year. My concentration was interrupted with my daughter asking 152 questions or chattering about what she wanted to do next. Fair enough. I enjoyed seeing the festival through her eyes. This year I watched her play games… or one game mulitple times – the Pick a Duck game. She delighted in her $5 poorly made .50 stuffed animals. Seeing her sense of accomplishment when the carnie would hand over the brightly colored dog-cat-bear-rabbit looking stuffed animal put a smile on my face.

Misc Entertainment
You mean they have face painting and pony rides at these gigs? I guess I never really paid attention. My daughter acquired a yellow and purple butterfly on her face and rode 2 ponies. She’s still talking about the “horsies” and asking when she can pet them again. It’s going to be a long summer.

Rides
Call me overly cautious, but there’s no way in h-e-l-l you’re gonna get me on a carnival roller coaster or any other ride for that matter. Seriously. I’m apprehensive about the rides at reputable amusement parks. When my husband asked my thoughts on our 34.5″ daughter riding the Flying Tea Cups, I logically pointed out the 36″ height requirement. Phew, saved by the height requirement. Not sure what I’ll do next year. She did ride the Rio Grande Train and ultimately ended up in a pointing-poking-kicking match with the little boy with whom she shared the caboose. We ended up leaving early that night because of the ensuing meltdown. *sigh*

Music
Isn’t this what summer festivals are all about (well, besides the beer)? We were entertained by: a 60s cover band, an awesome rockin’ orchestra, a tin drum band, a Dave Matthews cover band, other various local bands, The Smithereens, Kansas and Peter Frampton. We were so tired by the end of the week that we didn’t stay at Summerfest long enough to hear Live or Collective Soul. This is the one facet that didn’t change. All four of us enjoyed the music. My daughter entertained onlookers with her Elaine Benes dance moves, and my husband, son and I relaxed and enjoyed the music.

Overall, we had a very fun week. It was exhausting, and we’re not searching out any festivals in the immediate future. We all need to recuperate from this week. Ha. Who am I kidding? I know by the end of this week I’ll be searching out local festivals. I love exposing our kids to live music, entertainment, local arts and crafts, and a diverse group of people.

Peace, love and rock ‘n roll all!

Toonces

 Can’t get away from your office this summer? Live vicariously through other peoples’ vacations! TravelBlog.org has the most amazing collection of photo blogs from travelers roaming all over the world. The stories and pictures are mesmerizing.

 2. Summer Television: Top Chef & So You Think You Can Dance

 Lost and The Office are leaving us, but there are still two good reasons to watch TV this summer. So You Think You Can Dance returns on Thursday, May 24 for its third season. Top Chef is also back for a third season starting June 30. I, for one, can’t wait.

 3. OPI’s Summer 2007 Nail Polish Collection

OPI’s new nail polish colors for summer will make you thrilled to bare your toes in those strappy heels and chic wedges. This year’s collection has an Australian theme, with cheeky names like Don’t Melbourne the Toast and Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It.

4. HostessBlog.com

 A website dedicated the art of beautiful entertaining, HostessBlog.com highlights some of the most lovely invitations, serving dishes and party décor you have ever seen. You’ll find amazing ideas for your summer soirée, and birthday gift inspiration as well.

5. Roomba

Why spend sunny summer days cleaning the floors when Roomba can do it for you? Now that my cat is shedding her winter coat, I love this genius little robot vacuum more than I could ever have imagined. If only it would do the dishes, as well. I guess a girl can dream…

Rosebud

I’m happy to report that travelling alone with her wasn’t too difficult, here’s what I learned along the way.

First, think about what you’re bringing. I probably packed too much, but I wanted to make sure my daughter had plenty of clothes for her to wear. Some days, she goes through two or three outfits. I was able to do laundry while we were visiting family, so there really was no need for me to pack quite so much. Still, I managed to pack one suitcase for the both of us, as well as her diaper bag. I also brought the stroller and car seat.

Prior to leaving, check your seat assignment. You don’t want a middle seat on a full flight, trust me. It’s awkward at best.

Make sure you arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance. You might want to plan for extra time during busy, peak travel times.

Going through security can get awkward with a little one. The car seat and the stroller have to go through the x-ray machine and you’ll have to carry your child with you – all the while trying to get everything through the x-ray machine. Don’t forget to declare any breast milk or pre-mixed formula that you have or they’ll end up going through your entire bag like they did to mine. If they do go through your bag, be sure and check to make sure that the breastmilk or formula lid is secure. Otherwise, it will probably spill all over the diaper bag and the carry on luggage of your fellow passengers. And yes, we know this first hand. I had 5 ounces of breast milk though and was allowed through without any problems.

Once you have your shoes back on and everything put back together, you’re ready to find your gate. I mainly used the stroller to push our stuff around on and had my daughter in the mei tai. The stroller worked out well though for when I had to use the restroom, which I made sure to do before getting on the plane. I was able to sit down and nurse for a few minutes before being allowed to preboard (which I got to do with a little one). That two hours sure goes quick!

I gate checked the stroller and car seat. On Continental you are allowed to check those items for free, in addition to your regular bags – be sure to check with your airline to see if this is the case for you.

Try not to think too much about the usual schedule you and baby have and instead, try to just go with the flow. If the baby is sleeping while taking off, let baby sleep. If baby needs to nurse, feel free to nurse (unless you’re flying Delta :p). On our way out, my daughter slept for the first two hours – take off never bothered her at all. The next two hours she alternated between nursing and feeding. Everyone was so happy that she was well behaved. This was a middle seat on a full flight, and I learned my lesson of not checking it out before the flight!

On our return trip, my daughter decided to sleep nearly the whole time, heck, I even managed to catch a bit of shut eye. I was in a window seat and even managed to not have someone next to me. There was only one seat open in the whole plane, so we were happy it ended up next to us. She nursed at take off and landing this time.

Once you arrive at your destination, if at all possible make sure someone comes inside the airport to help you out. There’s no way I could carry a suitcase, diaper bag, apnea monitor, baby and push a stroller, and unless you’re supermom, you probably won’t be able to either.

Happy holidays and happy traveling!

JennyLou