Well, 2016 is quickly coming to an end and this year was full of more family travel for The Passport Kids. This was the first full year of us blogging our journey and adventures, which brought about an interesting perspective on our travels. Blogging and sharing our stories was like journalling our year of travels and reflecting about the importance of travelling with our kids.
What You'll Find in This Post
Whitefish, Montana, USA
We opened the year up skiing/snowboarding in Whitefish, Montana, USA. Taking time as a family and enjoying the simple things in life. Getting back to nature started this year with reflecting upon what is important to our family. This was a common theme this year throughout our journey and set the tone for the rest of the year.
Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
We then enjoy the beach, sand and the sun with more family in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Almost completely disconnecting to reconnect with our kids during this time. Ironically, after starting a blog I wanted to disconnect, not from the followers or sharing great travel details; just to spend time with my kids and re-prioritizing what is important to us. Get our faces off the screens and start being in the moment. The kids are growing up way too quick and I felt if I kept going in the direction I was going in, I would miss out on so many great times with my kids. This was about the same time, I went to work and asked if it would be possible to reduce my hours so I can find a better balance in our household. This was bubbling up for a while and was one of the best changes I did this year. I’m just a happier mom!
- Disconnecting to Reconnect – Unplugging While Travelling
- First Trip Without a Stroller
- Hot Holiday Packing List
Chicago, Illinois, USA
A quick weekend in Chicago to see the Cubs in their 2016 season as World Series Champs! Visiting Wrigley field was on our list for a while and an awesome experience. We had late suppers, lots of drinks and spent some time with just the two of us exploring a really cool city. I was amazed by the architecture of this city and loved how the river ran through the windy city. This was just a quick stop before we hopped over to Minneapolis, Minnesota for an exciting week at TBEX North America (a travel blogging conference). This was my first blogging conference, so I was really grateful for the support and encouragement from Jamie as I entered an unchartered territory. I learned so much from this conference, met so many people and provided inspiration to keep sharing my travel messages.
Katepwa Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada
We spent once again a wonderful summer enjoying the beauty and relaxation of lake life in Saskatchewan. A tranquil oasis that we are fortunate to be able to escape to almost every weekend. Boating, fishing, wakeboarding, golfing, camping, etc. The kids spent time with extended family and we had close friends come spend an awesome week with us living lake life.
Southern Saskatchewan, Canada
Another first in our travel books as I took the kids alone on a 1500km road trip and toured around Southern Saskatchewan. We explored places that are so close but we never seem to get to, we took the time to appreciate what was closer by and realize sometimes you don’t have to go too far to find new places. We got lost on dirt roads, rock-climbed, snow angles in sand dunes, tenting for the first time and spent time visiting the farm. Jamie joined us for the weekend and we spent time in Cypress Hills, a little-hidden treasure in the midst of the prairie.
Banff, Alberta, Canada
On the road again and headed back out west and gravitated to the mountains to get to Sunshine Village Ski Resort within a week of their season opening. We couldn’t wait to hit the slopes again and spend some time in the fresh air and have another long car ride! We spent time wandering down Banff Avenue eating Beaver Tails, checking out the candy shops and slowly enjoying our coffee.
As the year comes to a close we will be coming full circle and heading back to Whitefish, Montana, USA to enjoy some more snow, skiing, hot chocolate and Nutella crepes.
This year our travels helped us refocus what is important to us as a family. I think in some weird way blogging, reflecting and documenting our adventures helped us appreciate how fortunate we are in many aspects of our lives. To be grateful that travelling allows us to spend time with each other as a family of four, with just Jamie and I, and with our extend family (grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc). It allows us to learn and grow as individuals, try new things, and we support one another when we need it.
2016 was a big year for us to internalize what we want for our family and for our future. We are looking forward to what 2017 brings for our family, but for now, we are just going to enjoy the fun we have left in 2016.
Stay tuned…
Merry Christmas – what a lovely year you have had a what great memories for all of you. Xoxoxo
Merry Christmas Dallas! Thanks so much for following along with us this year. Have a great holiday season with family and friends :) Hope to see you soon.