Raising children is a tough business, but every now and then you get it right.  Do something that you just know has shaped their lives, opened their eyes, made them just…better people.

We’ve traveled with our children all their lives.  Even when people thought we were crazy for taking an infant to Italy or loading our kids on a ferry to Ireland.  We’ve always seen the value, no matter the age.  Sure, there are trips they don’t remember, but they were still affected by the experience.  It’s not always remembering exactly what Westminster Abbey looked like, or which paintings they saw in The Louvre.  It’s being around ten different cultures, hearing five different languages in one cafe or looking out the rental car window as the rain pours down on the incredible green of Scotland.

Children are shaped by these things.  Their minds open and they see the world differently…treat the world differently.

We just got back from Costa Rica.  This was our first Adventure Vacation.  We went zip lining through the rainforest, took a nature hike through a national park where we came face to face with monkeys…real live monkeys, and white water rafted down a raging river (I’ve never had so much water in my face!).  This trip was incredible and it pushed us as a family.  We had to work together.

In most cases we were way out of our comfort zone and we had a blast.  We ate in little dive restaurants and saw first hand that there are clearly “haves” and “have nots”.  We also learned that sometimes you can be a “have not” in one way and a definite “have” in another.  Life is what you make it and in Costa Rica they get it.  We met some of the most wonderful people and felt taken care of in some pretty hairy situations.

Beautiful Country and Beautiful People!

Leave the Window Open!  Pura Vida!

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