Looking back

It struck me today -- I have had some wild summers over the past few years. Four summers ago, I went to China with three other ladies. Our school trip was cancelled due to the earthquake in Chengdu, but we decided to go anyways. 4 girls and one Lonely Planet travel book. We stayed in hostels and planned on the fly. It seems like a lifetime ago. I felt like, for lack of a better term, a total badass.

 The following summer, John proposed...well, it was actually May 16. We went on a cruise to Alaska shortly thereafter. He also surprised me with a trip to Turkey (as an engagement present.)

L: Mendenhall Glacier. TR: horseback riding in Alaska. BR: lounging on the beach in Turkey

We got married in January of 2010 in Marietta. Honeymooned in Playa del Carmen. That summer, we took it easy. We went to visit one of my best friends, Adam Schaefer, in Chicago.

We are the threesome in the middle.

Last summer, we traveled to St. Lucia. It was a wonderful trip. Our resort left a lot to be desired, but the island was gorgeous. John is the best travel buddy.

And this summer? Well, I think I am experiencing the greatest adventure of them all. I know, that sounds over-the-top cheesy. It is a little hard to write that knowing how many people will read it and sigh, thinking I am full of it. But in all honestly, having Harper around has opened my eyes to the things I overlook. Everything she sees and experiences -- it is for the first time. She is mesmerized by our dogs. I think about it -- these are animals who live in our house. The love us, chase tennis balls and bring them back to us, sleep in our bed and lick our face. That is pretty awesome. Every morning when she wakes up...she whimpers -- it borders on a cry. When I get to her crib, she lights up. And her smile...it is the biggest, sweetest smile I have ever seen. She shrieks. She is so excited. What if we all woke up like that? Recognizing that everyday is so special -- so excited to see our loved ones?

A few weeks ago, John joined some of my highschool guy friends in a weekend golf tournament. It was 72 holes of golf in three days. On the second day, Adam Schaefer's parents hosted a dinner at their house. I absolutely adore his parents and I really wanted them to meet Harper. So, I decided to join them. It was fun introducing Harper to my friends from highschool. One friend, Sam, kept commenting, "Alyson Perry...you have a baby!" It was an absolute delight. As usual, Adam and I delved into one of our deep conversations and this time Sam joined in. We were all talking about their plans for children, about children...just children in general. Sam said he was at a museum one day and saw parents with their children. They were at a dinosaur exhibit looking at the bones of a t-rex. The parents were busy on their phones, but proud of themselves because they took their kids to the museum. Meanwhile, their kids are bored out of their minds playing on their phones. Sam had a huge problem with this. How could the kids ever be excited if their parents weren't? He proceeded to tell me how he would handle the situation. "You see this -- this is a HUGE f-ing dinosaur. It lived millions of years ago. This actually lived on earth. Can you believe it?!?" He went on and on. Clearly, you would leave out the expletive, but hearing his passion motivated me to see all situations with Harper with the same enthusiasm.

So, the locations of my adventures have changed. I don't need a passport for my current one; but, I won't let the distance traveled gauge the magnitude of the adventure. Because this is one hell of an adventure.