#7

travel.

i am a planner. before bed each night, i cuddle with mackenzie and we plan out the next day. where we should go. what we should eat. and as her eyelids are getting heavy and i am walking out of her bedroom door she smiles faintly and whispers, "we gonna have fun tomorrow". it's a statement, not a question.

before i start a new school year, i have the entire year outlined (yes, it is required...but i relish the act). i can breathe easier knowing what is ahead.

and when i travel to a new place, i make it my business to know the ins and outs of our destination.

when it comes to travel, it is a three part process for me and each stage i love. the planning. the traveling. the returning home. i love it all.

justin and i have become excellent traveling companions. but i have to admit, it took some battles work. our first big trip together, our honeymoon, we missed our flight. a few years later in new york city, justin was flabbergasted as i started to cry in the middle of the sidewalk. i was upset over which restaurant to eat at. he wanted to grab something on the go, and continue checking items off our hefty itinerary for the day. i wanted to eat at one of the restaurants i had spent the last few months researching. we've learned a lot.

this last weekend i was reminded of why traveling makes my top ten. my mom and i had a girls' weekend in lovely san diego. we had so much fun. that woman makes me laugh! justin held down the fort with the little ladies and was rewarded by a very relaxed and refreshed wifey! win-win.

(we could spy this 25 foot statue from our hotel window)

(love this view)

(hotel del coronado, anyone for some like it hot?)

(we pounded the pavement, checking out downtown. loved the mix of old mission style buildings with the modern high rises)

(returning home to this lil' mug is the best)