World's Largest Bowling Pin, Tampa, FL

Says The Boy: “We’re going to see a 30-foot WHAT?!”

Me, responding: “Come on, indulge your old mom. I…won’t be around forever, you know…sniff.”

Some call it “guilt.” We Italians call it “love.”

Reasons why we are unlikely characters for a family travel blog:

Well, for one, we don’t travel that often.  Because…

…we are in possession of a three-year old daughter prone to public meltdowns with a haughty suspicion for any food that doesn’t start with “Mc…”

…the man of the house hates getting lost.  He has an unnatural affection for — and reliance on — our GPS unit.

…there aren’t always the funds, or the time, to get away.  The kids’ activities have us scheduled to the very nanosecond.

So, here’s where you WON’T find the four of us: zip lining in the Costa Rican rainforest; snacking on toasted crickets in Thailand; or snowboarding down Mount Kilimanjaro.  If that’s the kind of blog you enjoy reading, sorry!  More likely, we’ll be riding in the family roadster, playing “I Spy” during a day trip through our Hudson Valley backyard.

It’s a “back-to-basics” approach to travel, and it works for us!

Reasons why we could actually make this blog work:

We finally got the kids their passports.  Anyone who has tried keeping their pre-schooler still long enough to get that photo taken knows…fun times.

With my brother in Rome, 1977

I’ve travelled since I was seven, so it’s in my blood.  More about that in “The Prequel.”

I’ve passed the restless “I wanna see the world” traveling gene on to my 10-year old son, who keeps track of where he’s been with push pins in a map.  Wherever he goes, our daughter is willing to tag along.  Plus, for some unknown reason she calls a hotel a “soyal,” which kills me every time I hear it.

My husband is a great sport who’s okay with doing most of the driving.  So long as he can stop for Dunkin Donuts coffee every few hours.  The Girl can place his order by heart: “extra large, french vanilla, milk and sugar.”

Travel provides riches in experiences and education, which I desperately want for my kids.  It’s my job to expand their view of the world, encourage their curiosity, and broaden their perspective.  And I’ve only got three more years to do so before my son becomes a surly, uncooperative teenager. Borrowed time.

Jeffersonville, VT, 2009