Travel

- - - | written by Jason on 8/16/2015 | - - -

What I Learned From Driving 2,300 Miles with My Kids

I was sitting on the beach reading, and I looked up from my book to a most wonderful sight. It was of my daughter Lucy, clutching a boogie board, being escorted to the shore by a strong wave of saltwater. The entire ride lasted barely five yards, but the transformation in her was light years from a few hours earlier. The initial introduction to this unfamiliar ocean vessel was marked with trepidation and more than a few tears. Her triumphant, tooth-deprived grin was one of my favorite moments from our recent 11-day, 7-state, 2,300 mile road trip with three kids under seven. (The second …

- - - | written by Jason on 7/26/2015 | - - -

The What the Hell Approach to Living a Great Story

The #Notarule Tour is well underway. We have already visited a bookstore, a zoo, an old bank, and the home of some Escape Adulthood Summit alumni. But now the certifiably insane part is upon us. We are embarking on a 10-day road trip in a Ford Edge with three kids under seven. And then we’re doing it again a month later. Most parents might think we're batsh#t crazy. Sometimes I do, too. Because it is a little bit crazy. And it might not work. But that’s exactly why it’s worth doing. I loved the message I once saw printed on a sign at a store that said, “Ever notice that what …

- - - | written by Jason on 1/11/2015 | - - -

The Penny Date

When you have a map to anywhere and GPS in your pocket, it’s really hard to get lost. I think that’s too bad, because sometimes getting lost can lead to great adventures. Someone shared the idea of a “Penny Date” with me, and I wanted to pass it along. The first rule is to get dressed to out and grab a penny. Get in the car and let your partner choose a number between 10 and 20. This will be the number of times you flip the penny. Pull out of the driveway and begin your adventure. Heads is right, Tails is left. Every time you come to an intersection, flip the penny and turn the …

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- - - | written by Jason on 10/18/2014 | - - -

Traveling with Kids is a Drag (and Other Thoughts from My First Daddy Daughter Business Trip)

The white dog bounded down the skinny green runway, chasing a stuffed animal attached to a steel cable. In just ten seconds, the race was over, and Yeti had her prize. Meanwhile, her best friend was looking on. After the steel cable was reset, this time with a small stuffed zebra, a trainer readied herself in front of the big box where Shiley stood poised. The trainer raised her hand while unlatching the door on the cage, and then dropped her arm to indicate it was time for the wench operator at the other end of the track to get that zebra moving. The door flung open, and a flash of fur and …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/20/2014 | - - -

Thou Shalt Not Have Fun in Elevators

Willy Wonka’s glass elevator was an Adultitis Antidote. How many elevators can you say that about? With all due respect to Aerosmith, elevators are not usually bastions of fun. They are awkward little boxes in which everyone stares blankly at the floor numbers, tightens the sphincter, and puts on their best grown-up face while staring straight ahead. It's the equivalent of entering a walk-in closet with random strangers and closing the door. But taking a page out of Mr. Wonka’s book is not that hard. My friend Dan plays a game called Elevator Fight Club with his kids. When they are in …

- - - | written by Jason on 8/29/2014 | - - -

Small Rebellion #9: Pay It Backward

Imagine placing an order at a drive-thru restaurant. (And yes, you definitely want fries with that.) You pull up to the window and begin digging out some cash only to learn from the store employee that the person ahead of you already paid for your meal. Wouldn’t that make you feel amazing? If you were having a bad day up until that point, what are the odds that your mood changes? This concept is known as “paying it backward.” It’s similar to “paying it forward,” which is the expression for describing when the beneficiary of a good deed repays it to someone else instead of the original …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/1/2014 | - - -

Adultitis Antidote #1: Sticky Cup

This is a wonderful April Fool's Day prank that's fun to do all year long. Just be aware of the national emergency you will cause for everyone around you. Well, some people will not even notice. But the ones who do are likely to drive miles -- I mean MILES, people -- out of their way to let you know that you have Taco Bell on the top of your car. Of course, you and the people driving with you have the task of acting clueless. That's part of the fun (and a challenge). One guy reported to me that it's the perfect way to occupy kids on long road trips. They love watching the reactions of …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/15/2014 | - - -

Traveling with Kids: How to Not Get Conquered by Disney World

"Disney World is going to conquer you." Those were the words a "friendly" TSA employee working the airport security line delivered to Kim. First of all, who feels it's a good idea to predict a disaster to someone on their first day of vacation, the one their five-year-old has been counting down for over 80 days? Granted, Kim was holding a two-month old, jamming a half-folded stroller into the x-ray machine, and prepping four bottles of breast milk for a some guy with blue gloves to make sure they weren't laced with explosive material. And second, what if Little Miss Sunshine had …

- - - | written by Jason on 2/5/2014 | - - -

Adultitis Officially Grounded at Denver Airport

I spend a lot of time in airports. Airports are like kids. They can be a CAUSE of Adultitis or they can be a CURE for Adultitis. It all depends on your approach. Sara Alvarado LOVES airports. She gets a kick out of watching all the people with Adultitis freak out over stuff that in the grand scheme of things, don't really matter. On a recent visit to the Denver Airport, Sara and her son Leo bought some silly putty and did a little redecorating to some advertisements hanging on the wall. It doesn't take much to ground Adultitis. Lucky for us, we have people like Sara to show us how …

- - - | written by Jason on 2/5/2013 | - - -

Kites Aren’t Just for Flying Anymore

I've written before that one of the BEST parts of being grown-up is having the ability and the know-how to take awesome things from childhood to a new level of awesomeness. The sweet photos above? No, they were not created by some guy in a small plane or captured with the iPhone of a blimp pilot. They were taken by a camera attached to a kite. Yes, a freaking kite. You know, that thing kids play with on windy days? In fact, Kite Aerial Photography is a real thing. Google it. …

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