Can you tell that I really enjoy joining link-ups? It helps me so much to have a prescribed topic to write about, plus I find it really fun to read other blogs and see the various answers to different questions. Sometimes I feel like a total outlier when I’m reading everyone else’s responses, but I also think that it can be helpful to read all kinds of different experiences and perspectives!
This month’s Monthly Musings is all about Summer Fun! It’s no secret that summer is my absolute favorite season and I LIVE for summer.
- Favorite Vacation Destinations
Since our family is still in the part of life where we are getting established and we are working towards being completely financially stable (we choose to live debt free outside of our mortgage), we haven’t had too much margin for vacations. But, we have still made a point of trying to take some fun trips as a family. So far our two biggest trips were to Northern Michigan and to Gatlinburg. We LOVED northern MI so much, it was absolutely our favorite family vacation so far.
We try to do day trips and enjoy some of the fun things that we have local to us whenever we don’t have the chance to travel!
2. Best Packing Tips
Don’t forget to pack the box fan! Ha! I always need a box fan to sleep well at night and I feel like I must be the only person in the world because nowhere that we travel has ones provided. So we have learned to always bring our own! I have also learned that if we are going to have a one night stop on the way to our destination to pack a second, small bag with all the stuff needed for just that one night. That way we don’t have to cart every single piece of luggage into a hotel or house just for one night.
3. Road Trips or Fly?
We are a road trip family!
4. Favorite Vacation Memory as a Child?
I fondly remember one year a big group of missionary families drove down to Nigeria and spent a couple weeks on vacation together. That was a lot of fun and a lot of memories were made! I also remember going on vacation to the beach in the The Gambia so we could vacation with my cousins. Those were also some really fun memories!
5. Ocean, Lake or Mountain?
We have decided that we are not ocean people. It’s windy, it’s hot, it’s dangerous, there is no relaxing as a parent with four kids near the ocean. Plus there is so much equipment that needs to be carried, and then all the mess that needs to be cleaned up afterwards. No, thank you.
A lake is #2 on the list- it’s calm, but it’s still a body of water which means that I have to watch all the kids like a hawk. But I feel like there is so much more to do at a lake than at the beach!
But, honestly..our family is totally mountain/hiking people all the way. We love a good hike and exploring outside!
6. Campout or Indoor Grill?
What even is an indoor grill, y’all? We are CAMPERS all the way!
7. Favorite Summer Cocktail or Mocktail?
I know so little about these types of drinks….we don’t have cocktails ever, and I don’t know much about making mocktails! But we have been loving our homemade mulberry lemonade!
8. Most Amazing Travel Upgrade Story…
I don’t think I’ve ever been upgraded while traveling lol. I think this is the equivalent to having someone in front of you in line pay for your order. I’ve never had that happen because I very rarely go through drive throughs. I’ve probably never been upgraded for travel because I’ve only traveled a handful of times!
9. Ice Cream or Popsicle?
Oh, this is a tough one! I am honestly going to say that it depends on the context. I think overall I prefer ice cream, but it needs to be somewhere where I am sitting down and have lots of napkins available because I cannot stand having a drippy, sticky mess. On the other hand, if it’s something more casual and on the go, a popsicle just hits the spot!
10. Do you camp?
Yes and no. Theo and I used to go backpacking every summer until we started having kids. Then Theo started taking the kids backpacking by himself while I stay home and have a day of sanity (usually I spend it lesson planning for the upcoming school year haha). We have gone camping a handful of times since having kids. This summer I know we want to do some sort of campout, but with a fairly new baby I doubt Orion and I would be spending the night outside/in a tent. But as the kids get older we absolutely plan to do some epic camping trips!
Yes, I do that too with packing a smaller back just for that one night stop. I hate unpacking the whole car! I find that beaches are much more fun with older kids; I’m not nearly so worried about drowning or anything like that and we don’t need to carry much with us at all.