Palm Springs.

On New Year’s Eve, as the sun set behind the mountains and the sky turned various shades of orange, we finished swimming and warmed ourselves by the poolside fire. The DJ was packing up his equipment and saying good-bye to Everett, who had enjoyed dancing to the music throughout the afternoon. There were two people sitting by the fire with us and they took out their guitars, invited those surrounding the pool to come closer, and played an impromptu concert with some songs they had been writing. Their music was the kind that makes you happy to be alive because of the way it warms your soul. It was one of those unplanned, yet perfect traveling moments where you are surprised with a beautiful experience that makes you connect to humanity in a different way than when you are in your typical surroundings. 

I can remember so many moments like this traveling internationally, and it heartens me that we don’t actually have to travel far to have these types of beautiful experiences with our kids. It also reminds me that even through the challenges of traveling with little kids, it’s always worth it.  There is just something about stepping away from your everyday surroundings that makes you notice the beauty in nature, people, and each other in a different way. 

There is always a point in traveling with our kids, where we look at each other and silently wonder, should we have just stayed home? These moments usually happen when our kids sleep poorly in unfamiliar places, or everyone gets sick and we’re scrunched in a tiny hotel room together. There is also always a point in traveling with kids, where we look at each other and silently think, this is why we do it. 

Even though everyone was feverish throughout the trip except me, by the end, we were talking about how we should make a Palm Springs and Joshua Tree trip an annual vacation, because it was fun for all of us. We are in a season of life where we plan adventures that aren't too far from home, because everything is so unpredictable with two little kids, and we're okay with that for now.

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Walks around the neighborhood:

Pretty excited to find their letters:

Fun at the hotel:

Night swimming:

The one benefit to having kids who wake before the sun:

He steals my sweater and then gives me this face:

Palm Springs Art Museum:
Cambria kept waving to these fake people that looked creepily real.

Visiting the dinosaurs: