Update
First of all, I want to thank you all for your donations to Passports with Purpose. We raised over $26k, more than double the original goal and enough to build a school in Cambodia, complete with clean water, a school nurse and at least one healthy meal a day. Thanks again to PosterBrain for donating the prize and thanks to all of you who participated in the raffle!
Also, I want to explain why I haven’t been posting in awhile. I haven’t given up on WanderTot; I just have some health problems that make it difficult to post regularly sometimes. I’m going to try to step it back up to at least once a week. I still have to finish telling you about our trip to Hawaii!
I have a lot of pain, numbness and tingling in my arms that makes it difficult to type, not to mention the, at times, overwhelming fatigue. For almost two years, I went to many doctors and specialists, not to mention acupuncturists, chiropractors and physical therapists (love you Ava!). Our insurance was terrible, so we were paying a lot of money out-of-pocket. After so many inconclusive tests and still no diagnosis, I decided to put it all on hold and spend the money I would have spent on medical bills on taking my son to see the world. It isn’t easy to haul him and our luggage around the airport, but it isn’t really that much harder than going to the grocery store with him.
Finding the time and money to travel with Jack is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Studies have shown that purchases on “things” don’t make you nearly as happy as spending the money on experiences. Although many people are much worse off than me, being less-than-healthy has made me realize that you shouldn’t put off things you want to do. You just never know what might happen.
Traveling with Jack has been amazing and I don’t regret it for a second, but it has been catching up with me a little bit. We finally got some new, much better insurance (Kaiser rocks!), so I’ve resumed the search to figure out what’s wrong with me. I still want to continue our travels, although we might stick to shorter flights for the next few months, even though we finally got both of our passports (sigh). I’m hoping to visit Oregon soon and once we’re up for it, I’m really looking forward to taking Jack to France. He started taking French classes a few weeks ago and said his first words in French today!
Hopefully someday I will feel like my (pain-free) self again. But in the meantime, I’m going to love my baby, travel as much as possible and share it all with you.
- Tags:
- Family Travel










If you can swing a last-minute trip, now is a great time to come to my home state of Colorado, where Denver Arts Week 2009 kicks off November 6th and ski areas are opening early for the season after last week’s storm blanketed the mountains with snow.
Woodlyn Park, Otorohanga, New Zealand – OK, first of all, Woodlyn Park has this entertainer, Billy Black, who was a part of the world record-setting group that sheared the most sheep in one day (8,500, of which he sheared 675, if you were wondering). Billy Black puts on the “Kiwi Culture Show,” with sheep shearing, bush animals, the Kiwi bear and a dancing pig. Apparently, said dancing pig also holds a world record for being the first and only pig to rappel into the nearby Lost World Cave in Waitomo. He is also known for riding in a motorbike sidecar and being pig-napped just before appearing in a television ad. Can you say awesome?
Hang Nga Guest House and Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam – Speaking of Vietnam, this little gem of a unique hotel is also known as the Crazy House. Built by the ex-President’s daughter, who studied architecture in Moscow, the stunning architecture is so unique, it’s a bit hard to describe. A bit of Gaudi influence maybe, with some fairy tales thrown in. Beautiful gardens surround elaborately sculpted “tree houses” with themed rooms and unexpected touches everywhere. Definitely worth a visit even if you don’t stay the night.
Magic Mountain Hotel, Huilo Huilo Nature Reserve, Chile – This unique hotel is shaped like a volcano, has a waterfall cascading down the side and tree house-inspired room decor. It’s also located in a beautiful nature preserve and has one of the top restaurants in Chile. But what really sold me on this one are the hot tubs. Imagine soaking in a huge, hallowed-out tree trunk filled with hot water, perched on a deck overlooking the forest. Count me in.
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho – At Dog Bark Park, you and your family can sleep in the world’s largest beagle. Or the world’s second-largest beagle. You can’t really get any more kid-friendly than that. Inside the dog, you will find books, games and toys instead of a television and a phone. Cottonwood seems like a nice place to get away from it all. It’s not a destination with world-class museums or famous attractions, but it would be great for some good quality family time away from it all. There are a few museums nearby, including The Monastery of St. Gertrude & Historical Museum and the Bicentennial Historical Museum, in addition to a drive-in movie theater and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures, including jet boat tours and whitewater rafting.
Kakslauttanen Hotel & Igloo Village, Saariselka, Finland – I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights, but being outside in sub-zero weather to watch them does not appeal to me. At all. Watching them from a heated glass igloo? Now we’re talking. There are no bathrooms in the glass igloos and it’s a bit of a trek to reach them from the main building, although they do provide you with a sled to transport your children and/or luggage. Still, it might be a bit too adventurous for families with young children. It would be great for older kids though. The hotel also has comfortable cabins, which most visitors choose to stay in for the majority of their trip with one night in an igloo.








