Would you be down for a surprise trip? One where somebody maybe tells you how to pack but you don’t know where you’re going until you’re pretty much there?
Half the people I talk to seem to love the idea, the other half would hate it.
I’m definitely in the half that would love it.
To celebrate Daniel getting engaged, we took off on a trip to… well, tell you when we’re there. But I’ll bet some of my observant followers will be able to figure it out via the visual clues.
Ten years ago to the day, I went on this date.
I asked out this girl I had been really good friends with for three years, breaking some sort of unwritten rule. Most people figured that if this was going to happen, it would already have happened long ago. We kinda thought that too. But it was three weeks before our college graduation, so that was the time to be breaking some rules!
Ten years, three kids, and a gazillion adventures later… I think that date went pretty well.
Love you Deanna!
I didn’t *need* this trip.
But only because I try to be careful with applying that word to travel. It’s a privilege and we shouldn’t feel too entitled to enjoy the best a country has to offer without the deepest appreciation.
But I do think we need things like stepping away from our routines, a sense of adventure, and sparks of wonder, all of which I got out of this trip.
Over the past six months we’ve rarely left our neighborhood. Having three kids under three makes it that much harder to get out of the house.
Of course the past six months have been extremely sweet. But they’ve also felt a bit like an endless loop of the same day over and over. Its been a lot harder to stay creative and to stay inspired with those conditions.
But I can already feel the creative energy coming back. I have so many things I’m excited to be working on, and it feels like being in Guatemala has really helped me get unstuck.
So maybe I didn’t *need* that trip. But I can’t deny that it was a really good one for me, on a number of different levels.
A quiet morning in Guatemala looks like Rhys and the twins entertaining themselves in the central courtyard, brewing a really good pot of coffee from the farmer we met earlier in the week, and taking in the street scenes of taxi bikes and cars turning the corner just outside our house.
A big part of this trip is noticing all the ways travel is different now, with young kids and a world trying to get through a pandemic. One of the most welcome changes is now getting to go at a much slower pace.
Longer stretches of time away allows for more breathing room and less running from one thing to the next.
More chances to camp out at a cafe for a full afternoon. More times the kids can enjoy a normal playtime. More of a chance to experience the charm of an everyday life elsewhere, and not just an endless string of stimuli.
Going on a trip with very young kids puts a little more emphasis on the quality of the place we’d end up staying. Fortunately I managed to secure us a pretty sweet rental that looked a lot like the house from Encanto.
Fatalism ain’t it.
You know that sense of being unable to change things so why even bother?
Our climate projections look so bleak. Why even bother? Unfortunately this way of thinking gets us to the exact same spot climate denial gets us.
Or another in circulation this week. We can’t make laws that get rid of evil and darkness. Why even bother?
Enough of us know that the goal isn’t the philosophical fantasy of eliminating evil. It’s the practical, urgent, and necessary goal of saving lives.
Of course these examples of fatalism are easy for me to identify and reject because I don’t subscribe to them whatsoever. But I think we all have our own struggle of fatalism in some form.
As terrible as this week’s tragedy in Texas has been, most of me has little confidence that we’ll do anything. When we made no changes after Sandy Hook, we really sold our souls away to accepting all kinds of evil. And having to be honest with that makes me livid.
But if I’m going to be in the business of rejecting fatalism, I need to do this in the ways I’m prone to it.
After all… the best things that have happened in my life also come with this powerful reminder: you actually never do know what’s possible until you try.
Hope isn’t a sugary good feeling. It’s not the same thing as optimism. It’s where you plant your feet.
While it’s often hard to believe change can happen, in some ways that doesn’t matter. We must keep insisting that it must.
I’ve got to show you another spot around Antigua I loved a lot.
This one is a pretty popular spot so it’s not much of a secret but the popularity is well deserved.
It’s Caoba Farms!
It’s a privately owned but open to the public farm that boasts plenty of green space, green houses, and organic, sustainable farming techniques on display.
Oh cool, they collab with World Central Kitchen.
Walking between the rows of crops is enough of a treat but there’s so much more.
Like beekeeping.
Or playgrounds. This place is super family friendly.
There are plenty of places to sit and eat and the on-site restaurants are really, really good.
On weekends you’ll find farmers markets or artisan markets. Maybe even a friendly caterpillar.
Keep this farm on your radar.
Antigua’s the kind of place where you’ll run into people from all around the world in any number of coffee shops, especially with so many opportune for remote work.
I kept catching glimpses that would take you to Lake Atitlan, Tikal, or even neighboring countries. Tegucigalpa. Belmopan.
It made it easy to start daydreaming of the parallel world where I could turn this weeks-long trip into a months-long string of stays across Central America. I did similar trips throughout my early 20s in different regions and I couldn’t help but be nostalgic for the era when “travel was easy.”
Except… it wasn’t that easy then either. Just hard in different ways. I was completely broke. I deliberately booked flights that allowed me to sleep in an airport, all just to save 18€. The odd jobs I found in between stretches abroad were odd, but they allowed me to see quite a bit.
It was super memorable, but it wasn’t easy. It’s probably even more memorable because it wasn’t easy. But sometimes that detail gets lost in nostalgia.
I try my best, now, not to elevate any other moment over the present, because that’s all I’ve got to work with. It really is special that I get to go places with this family. Seeing my kids discover stuff adds a whole new layer of wonder. It’s something a past me would’ve been so excited to look forward to.
We decided that our first international adventure as a family of five would be to Antigua, Guatemala… and I’m happy with that choice! It ended up being uniquely well-situated for what we were hoping to do.
Loved how family oriented the culture was, how much there was to do within a walking distance within the city, and how it wasn’t that far from our starting point.
Every place will have a few drawbacks though:
🌞 The sun was pretty intense out there! Altitude plus a tropical latitude means that you shouldn’t underestimate it even on a cloudy day. Get the babies slathered in sunscreen.
🛣 The streets aren’t stroller friendly. That’s because they’re cobblestone and that’s part of the charm, but it also means I didn’t have an on-the-go dock where I could my kids down for a bit. I had them strapped to me for a large portion of the trip.
🌋 So many outdoor adventures! Which… I know. Normally a good thing. But it meant I knew what I had to skip out on since I couldn’t quite make a toddler climb a volcano. I would advise against a destination that is more exclusively built around harder adventures if you don’t want to feel like you’re missing out. Thankfully Antigua had a pretty diverse portfolio of things to do so I’m still glad I chose it.
Hidden gem alert. One of my favorite spots in Antigua, Guatemala appeared on ZERO of the lists of must-eat places or must-do things before my trip. So save this if you plan to visit.
This is Bosque and it lives up to its name.
It’s a bar, but a large outdoor one, in the shade of many large trees. There are smaller gardens and pavillions all throughout.
Cocktails, beer, and fresh juices are served by the Antigua Brewing Company.
I got a beer flight and was personally fond of the Don Novio pale ale.
There are also a couple of stands and food carts where you can get pizza, salad, or Argentine street food.
There are outdoor games and they host events often… I came back for trivia night!
One thing I’m loving about my kids’ ages right now is seeing each of their personalities starting to take shape. They’re all so distinct from each other.
Traveling together gave a chance for everyone’s personalities to show up all the more.
And yes… Kai did spit up on that sweet abuela’s arm.
Antigua 🇬🇹 Day One
I’m a traveler, but since having three kids in the past two years, plus a pandemic… I haven’t gone many places.
I always intended to travel with my kids, so finally I got the chance to bring a two year old and two five month olds to Guatemala.
Not the furthest destination, but this may have been my most ambitious trip.
The part that seemed the most intimidating was the first part… getting there. The flight itself wasn’t so bad, the kids mostly slept and Deanna packed the magic school bus backpack full of goodies. The bigger challenge was getting through the airport.
We landed in Guatemala City and got a ride to Antigua, about 40 minutes. I probably overpaid for the transport but I wanted our first journey to be comfortable.
We got into our homestay which was really nice. Love that it was built around this outdoor courtyard. Explored the balcony too.
For these trips I say not to plan anything for your first 24 hours to let everyone recoup. We got naps, playtime, and by the end Rhys and I even worked up enough energy for a walk in town.
01 May 2022 // Carson, California
02 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
03 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
04 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
05 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
06 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
07 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
08 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
09 May 2022 // San Miguel Escobar, Guatemala
10 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
11 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
12 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
13 May 2022 // Antigua, Guatemala
14 May 2022 // Oceanside, California
15 May 2022 // San Diego, California
16 May 2022 // San Diego, California
17 May 2022 // Solana Beach, California
18 May 2022 // Encinitas, California
19 May 2022 // San Diego, California
20 May 2022 // San Diego, California
21 May 2022 // San Diego, California
22 May 2022 // San Diego, California
23 May 2022 // San Diego, California
24 May 2022 // San Diego, California
25 May 2022 // San Diego, California
26 May 2022 // San Diego, California
27 May 2022 // Toronto, Ontario
28 May 2022 // Toronto, Ontario
29 May 2022 // Toronto, Ontario
30 May 2022 // Toronto, Ontario
31 May 2022 // Toronto, Ontario
People often default to thinking about kids and travel as mutually exclusive… but both have always been part of the life I wanted. The optimist in me has always thought, just bring the kids! They probably have kids wherever you’re planning to go.
The strategist in me, though, knows there’s a little more to it than that. But you’ll never really know until you go.
I kept calling our trip to Guatemala with three kids under three a big experiment. Meaning there was permission for things to go wrong, to be imperfect, etc.
The results of the experiment? Traveling with kids is totally possible, and worth it for all the memories. But of course, it’s a totally different animal and there’s a lot more to think about.
The biggest variables?
Age - Traveling with a newborn is so different than a one year old, which is different than a two year old.
Place - Each place has its pros and cons… so choose the right destination for the right time.
Place - You will be spending a lot more time inside, so accommodations matter a bit more.
Number - It gets a LOT harder when you’re outnumbered. Thankfully my mom joined us on this trip, and she already looks after Rhys on some weekdays.
If you couldn’t tell, I am super glad we made it to Guatemala. And we’ll never have the excuse of ‘we’ve never done this before’ to hold us back from future excursions. Not that I ever let that one hold me back…
This isn’t the furthest I’ve ever traveled, but it might have been my most ambitious trip.
Deanna and I took our crew of three-under-three to Guatemala!
🌋🇬🇹🍫☕️
Our time has been…
…refreshing. After six months of barely leaving our neighborhood, let alone the country, being able to step foot somewhere new is so reenergizing.
…truly memorable. Getting to see my kids in new settings and to explore as a family is some high level wish fulfillment.
…a real adventure. While this trip was both, I don’t think that world should be conflated with ‘vacation.’ It’s all about exploring and stretching your own limits and discovering what you’re actually capable of. New discoveries were made in that area for sure!
Do you know where the term Banana Republic comes from?
It’s what happened a bunch of times in the 1940s-80s as the US overthrew governments in Central America to install ones favorable to their interests.
One example:
Jacobo Arbenz was president of Guatemala in the 1950s. He was popular and democratically elected. Despite Guatemala’s fertile soil, 80% of the population struggled to survive, so he launched a land redistribution program to the peasants.
This upset the United Fruit Company, who controlled a lot of the land. They called the CIA, who convinced the US President to authorize a coup.
They installed Carlos Castillo Armas as President.
Castillo gave United Fruit 1.5 million acres, placed harsh restrictions on the Indigenous populations, and terrorized opponents.
Peace accords were finally signed in 1996, but the United Fruit Company lives on. You may recognize their new name. Chiquita.
I hate it when I see all these news stories about stuff like Ukraine or Anti-Asian violence or mass shootings and there’s nothing I can really do to make it stop.
It’s like the weather. You’re affected by it but you can’t really control it.
But then, there’s climate. Which we can’t really control, exactly, but we can affect it.
In fact, pretty much everything we do affects it for better or worse.
Of course some things we do have more influence, especially if it moves the policy needle or shifts the culture- and none of this is the work of one single person but enough of us working together
Got a couple of cool moms here!
The biggest Happy Mothers Day to these moms in my life. My kids are so lucky to have them shaping their lives.
Anyone who’s known @deanna.suzanna ever should be completely unsurprised that she’s a terrific mom but it’s still incredible to see it in action. All the little daily decisions that go into raising kids are made with the sharpest insight and wisdom. Becoming a parent of three in a two year window is a lot less intimidating with her as a partner.
I’m also thankful that this season of babies galore has brought my own mom into the mix much more. That’s made the life we have right now possible. Looking after this 3-under
-3 crew is a tall order at any age, but my mom has stepped up so enthusiastically.
Mothers have such a big impact, whether they’re biological, adoptive, foster, or moms in the more spiritual sense and no matter how many holidays they make, our world doesn’t do enough to recognize that. Don’t waste a chance to make a mom know what you appreciate.
Shout out to this shirt.
I got it back when I joined the @libertyinnorthkorea team as an intern in 2012.
I traveled the US, living in a van, and giving presentations at schools and churches about North Korea.
It was kind of my first formal act of storytelling for a cause.
The people of North Korea remain close to my heart, and so I’m happy to continue to rep.
This shirt has held up extremely well! I mean the neck may have seen better days, but after ten years I can’t complain. I’ve worn this thing all over the world, and the gray color is forgiving.
Lots of cool stuff is being done to make clothing more sustainable but it doesn’t get much more sustainable than caring for the stuff you have and making it last as long as you can.
I’m 32 today.
What a year. What a life.
I hope this comes across as grateful rather than boastful, but…
Of all the stories I could possibly be living, I can’t think of one I’d rather be in than the one I’ve been given.
The people I get to be around.
The kiddos I get to raise.
The places I get to visit.
The projects I get to work on.
The things I get to fight for.
There’s a lot going on in the world and there’s no shortage of reminders that everybody is going through something, but I can’t help but think that a real deep gratitude for life and the deliberate decision to live makes it a little better for everyone.
