Monthly Musings- June Edition

1. Share your summer trips for 2025

I kicked off the “summer” by traveling to North Carolina for a funeral.

The next weekend we went to Niagara Falls and NE PA for my Grandpa’s funeral.

Theo is traveling to Salt Lake City for a conference this month.

We are heading to Michigan for the DeValve family reunion

We are heading back to Michigan again for the Hines family reunion

Theo is heading back to Michigan again again for a guys weekend.

And that will be it for this year!

2. How Do You Manage the Post-Vacation Laundry

I still have my canvas bag from when I worked at camp! I always pack that and take it with us, and put all the dirty clothes in there. When I get home, the canvas laundry bag just goes straight into the wash and I usually start a load of wash within a few hours of getting home. Then I usually work through drying, folding and putting away for the next week or so as we adjust back to our regular schedule.

3. Most Memorable Summer Vacation

• Going to The Gambia with cousins. We stayed in a hotel with rooms that opened out onto a balcony. The cousin crew (of which I was the youngest) found a hotel room that wasn’t occupied and hadn’t been locked up, and we made it our “fort hideout” that week. HAHA. Also, my cousin saved two different people from drowning that week!
• Going to Miango Rest Home with my family- and sometimes my friends! I remember those summer trips well!
• Our trip out to Niger when Theo proposed to me is for sure one of the best trips of my life- and it did take place in the summer!
• Since we have had kids, The Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan has been one of our favorite family trips!
• Family reunions on the lake in Michigan are always a yearly summer highlight

4. Do you cook or eat out on vacation?

A little of both! We try to eat out one meal a day on vacation and eat the rest at our place of lodging (hotel or Airbnb). We’ve found in the past few years that we like to do a brunch or a “lupper” meal out, so it kind of covers two meals in one, and then we just have snacks on hand to get through the rest of the day.

5. Are you an overpacker, underpacker, or just right packer?

I am sometimes a little of all three! The last two trips I took I found I had brought just the right amount of clothes. I usually take way too many books. And I usually show up somewhere realizing that I completely forgot at least one important thing!

6. Beach, Lake, or Mountains?

Lake and Mountains all the way!

7. Road Trip or Fly?

We fly so rarely that flying in itself is a huge excitement, and I would love to take the kids on a trip that they get to fly (they have all flown, but none of them remember it). We typically road trip and this does have it’s benefits- like being able to take a box fan with us wherever we go! Haha…priorities!

8. Favorite Vacation Activities

We love a good adventure outing and then spending some time just chilling at the hotel or cabin. I particularly love the feeling of not having to get up and clean or do a long list of chores.

9. Best Packing Tips

I go through the house and mentally check each room for what I need to take. I put all the stuff in one place and then pack it up. If we have a one night stop somewhere, I try to pack that stuff separately so we can just take one bag in, instead of having to haul all the luggage inside for just one night.

10. Favorite Road Trip Songs

I love scanning for local radio stations and finding a great song that just comes on by chance! Otherwise, we mostly just listen to audiobooks or podcasts while we roadtrip.

This was fun! I would love to hear your answers! Long live summer!