I used to travel a lot. My passport has a lot of stamps, and I have a lot of great memories. I knew after Josie was born we would stop taking spontaneous weekend trips or exotic vacations, and basically that has been true. I thought I would miss it, and of course, sometimes I do. But, what I didn't know was how much fun it is to see new things through the eyes of a child. We changed our planned Orlando itinerary to return to Sea World, so Josie could spend more time with the dolphins. We spent our vacation at overpriced theme parks, with no fancy dinners or new languages or historical locations. We didn't ride any roller coasters. We just walked around in the beautiful weather and looked at whales.

I know it sounds corny, but even though the before Josie me would have HATED this trip, it was the best vacation I have ever had. I keep a store of purely happy moments in my heart that I remember when things are stressful, days like this or this. Now the memory of Josie's face every time the orca swam by is another.