We did it! We successfully completed our first official family vacation unscathed! We left for Chicago on a train out of San Antonio last Tuesday with not a care in the world. If you are not in a hurry and you like adventure, may I suggest train travel? It was fantastic! Yes, it took 35 hours to reach Chicago and the lounge car ran out of almost everything due to delays, but man was it relaxing. I have taken trains in Mexico and Thailand before, but this was pura Americana! We had a "family room" car with 4 beds and two windows that looked out on either side of the train. It was so great to wake up. look out the window and be crossing a flooded Mississippi River. The food was surprisingly good, the people who worked on the train awesome and the fellow passengers friendly.
Arriving in Chicago around 5pm, we took a cab to our hotel on the "mag mile" (terribly excessive shopping mecca) and headed out for stuffed pizza and beer. Marty's Chicago agenda consisted of art and mine of food. I have missed the food ever since I left 8 years ago and here was my chance. (I think we had pizza 4 or 5 times.)
We averaged walking about 3 to 5 miles a day and the girls were amazing. We put them in many different situations and they acted as if they did it everday. I was so proud of them.
After seven days of the city, we headed to the airport for the girls first plane ride. They loved it! One lady was surprised by their lack of fear. I told her that this is what happens when your kids don't watch TV and don't know what can really happen - I don't know of that is good or not. I suppose they have plenty of time for reality.
We are now home - back to nature and silence. Chicago was great, but too fast for me now. Being a Buckley, and you know who you are, do you think being able to really relax is a missing piece of our genetics? Perhaps it is just the Mike strand, but I find that the slowness of the country suits me for now. It makes me slow down just enough to be able to put life in perspective - or perhaps just have more time to think that I am putting things into perspective when in reality I just have too much time on my hands - it is summer time, you know. Wish me luck with my 7 more weeks of vacation...I will need it. Shalom - April
Squeezing it ALL in!
13 years ago
3 comments:
Sounds like you had a great trip! I've always wanted to try a train, Maybe I should look into that now... I really liked the pics, too!
It's a shame that the gene requires us to get it all done, NOW! It has definitely been an adjustment to have to settle into JHP's schedule and realize that it's not my own any longer. Relax a bit for me, will you?
Keep on blogging! You did great!
-EBP-
I'm glad you guys had a great trip! Chicago is one of my favorites too! Love this pics =)
Isn't great that we can show the world to our kids???
They will grow strong and with a beautiful heart (also) because of these family moments :)
Chicago has a special place in my heart. It welcomed into the "States" back in 1999 and it managed to be unbelievably kind to me, under a ferocious snow storm.
Chicago ... train ... family ... that sounds like a great idea. So glad you did it :)
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