just a few more from barcelona..

we were just chatting with our friends about families who travel. and those who don't. 

im a bit torn and frequently argue on both sides. on one hand, traveling with kids is simply not the same as without. the faster you come to term with it, the more at peace you are with the world. its expensive, slower, less shopping, less museum, less fine dining and if that sums up your travels, then it doesn't work so good. but at the same time, its less "oh i miss that little critter at home" and less "i need to take him back", more empowering and definitely more little moments that (to me) triumphs a gorgeously styled photo shoot with color coordinated balloons on brooklyn bridge at the crazy time of the day to avoid crowds and screaming kids. 

and in our lives, we do both. a balance of travel with and without the kid. it works for us better. 

in reflection, we spent a lot of barcelona not doing what should be the done thing. and had gorgeous tapas and drinking and blake spend many afternoon digging through sandy pits and running through playgrounds. arguably all things that can be achieved anywhere in the world. but would i exchange it for the world... no. and the next time you ask us to join you in spain. or russia. or timbaktu. we'll be on the next flight out in a heartbeat. 

just the other evening at bedtime, blake was telling D a bedtime tale (these days, its that way, not the other way around...) about how he enjoyed a new restaurant, a new playground, a pippi longstocking show, picking up someone's wallet and returning it so he would find it again, watching a rabbit mow the lawn and we knew in an instant he was talking about tivoli. 

and right there and then, we knew that there is no value you could place on a memory like that. 

xx