The Remembered Joy Of Traveling With Children

Ok...maybe not the actual travel part.  That can be fairly dicey, depending on the exhaustion, hunger, and overwhelm levels.  And that's just mom.

But once you arrive, there's absolutely nothing like seeing something through the eyes of a child.  Nothing better to remind you to look for joy in the world.

It's been awhile since I've gotten to spend much time with young children.  I've written before about how happy it makes me to hang with my friends Deena, Sarah and Abbie.  Last weekend they let me crash their Disneyland trip for a bit, and no surprise, their kids are equally amazing.

Disneyland has been a magical place for me since I was a little girl.  I remember piling into my uncle's van super early in the morning and making the long drive to Anaheim.  We'd spend the day in the park, coming out for picnics in the car, and leaving as late as possible.  Years later, I was so excited to bring my boys to Disney and share the experience.  Standing under the castle, listening to Julie Andrews sing while the fireworks went off, I teared up with the full circle-ness of it all.

That was over thirteen years ago.  While we've visited Disney a bunch since then, nothing can beat that little kid time.  So when Deena mentioned that they were heading to LA for their first visit, I shamelessly invited myself along.

And what a day it was.  Those six munchkins made my year.  Sure, they're kids, and their moms will probably say that they all had their "moments".  Honestly, I didn't see it (and now I sound like my mom, but it's true).  They are smart, thoughtful, funny, and kind.  For the most part, I was a total stranger, but they treated me like a new grown up friend, part of the club, and I loved that.

When one of them grabbed my hand, asked to ride with me, or allowed me to hang with them while mom did something else, my heart was so happy.  I loved explaining rides to Lucia, and listening to Gabby tell me about her birthday party, her dog, and what she's going to do when she turns eleven.  That girl has big plans for eleven.

I spent the day feeling so much joy for life.  All through the eyes of six children.

We get so bogged down in the everyday stuff.  You get older, your kids become adults, you spend less time with children, and you forget.  You forget about the happiness and wonder and the pure joy of ice cream on a warm day.  The excitement of experiencing something new.  Seeing a princess or a monster and BELIEVING.

The joy of experiencing the world with children.  Thank you, friends, for sharing your little loves with me, and reminding me to live with more joy.