Five {Favorite} Reasons I love to Travel With My Man

Monday night, Steve and I returned home late after a 4 day hiatus from the real world....the world of goldfish crackers and football cleats and goldfish crackers ground into the carpet by football cleats, and other precious visions of parenting.

I spent our first day home trying to cope with reality check-checkin' me in the face every five seconds. Snap out of it mountain princess! There's diapers to change, mouths to feed, and minds to warp educate. While I am so thankful to be back home with the boys, the withdrawal from the beauty and serenity of the mountains (and the wine, and the cheese, and sleeping through the night) is really cramping my new rest and relaxation lifestyle.

I'm pretty sure that I consumed enough cheese on the trip to keep the dairy industry a float for at least the next 6 months.  I won't even mention the wine details.  My palette, my liver, my eyeballs and my eardrums were overindulged for 96 hours and are now on involuntary detox...okay, maybe not the liver.  Baby steps here, people, baby steps.

Traveling to spectacular Vail, Colorado with my beloved to see old friends and to meet a few new ones was precious time that I won't soon forget.  In memory of our trip together, I'm dedicating this post to my husband, who, after 13 years, still makes traveling anywhere a grand time. Here's Why:

1. We have a mutual love for 

(what we call) "trashy" magazines. 

Get you mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about that kind of trashy magazine.  Trashy is just the descriptive we use for magazines in general.  We love to run into the airport gift shop, grab a few goodies, and then fill up on mindless reading on the plane, sometimes with an M & M's kicker.

Then it hits us: we're on vacation.  The adrenaline it takes to run the home ship plummets and cannot be sustained by magazines or chocolate.  Thus, we nap.

2. Food & Beverages

I really do love, love, love the fact that my husband will try just about anything that I ask him to try when it comes to food and drink, even roasted artichokes! Way to go, baby! He does have frosty glass filled with a nice full-bodied amber ale from Breckenridge Brewery to wash it down with. You know, just in case.  I'm merciful like that.

3.  Culture

Vail Village is host to a number of exceptionally talented artists.  One of them is Gib Singleton, the sculptor who was commissioned to design the papal cross for Blessed Pope John Paul II.

I'm so thankful that Steve is open to experiencing art in all forms.  He never complains when I suggest visiting museums, going to musicals, or popping into a gallery or two on our travels.  Gib's version of the Pieta was stunning, one of Steve's favorites. You can read more about Gib's life story as an artist here.

4. Adventure

When planning any trip, we always try to incorporate as many opportunities to get out and enjoy nature as possible.  Steve and I are completely united in this way.  Hiking, fly-fishing, rafting - we love the adventures that nature offers to us and to the boys.

During our trip, we spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains.  The group of friends whom we hiked with was always asking, "Where did Steve go?" I usually just shrugged my shoulders, knowing he had wondered off the path and into the woods or across a ridge somewhere where we would never see or hear him if he should fall.  Crazy man.  I love that about him.

Never content just to enjoy the view overlooking the rapids, nope, he has to be in the water.

5. Meeting New People

Whether we're at an airport bar or on a narrow trail, Steve is never shy.  He loves to talk to others, to hear their story, to tease them, to learn about their family, their job, their interests.  He never overwhelms, but shares just enough warmth, graciousness and friendly humor to show others that they are important. 

Am I a lucky gal, or what?

Thank you, Hallie, for hosting!