Create Awesome Family Adventures!

Wow! It’s been a long time since I posted! I’m missing you! I feel an emptiness in my life from not communicating with you.

I hope you’re having a fun summer with your family because that is what this note is all about. I’ve been having a fun summer! Doug and I took our two grandchildren Sebastian and Madison, ages 5 & 2, camping in wilds of the Sierra Mountains several weeks ago and recently returned from a family adventure in Colorado.

It was an interesting experience early on a Friday morning, all 6 of us traipsing into SFO – Our son Orion and his family and Doug and I. From there, the adventure began as we explored SW Denver area and attended a family wedding, 3 fun days at a cabin near Colorado Springs, then 2 days visiting my brother and his family near Rocky Mountain National Park.

It turns out Colorado is prime dinosaur territory, perfect for Sebastian and Madison (actually all 6 of us!), plus we all know the Rockies are breath-taking. I’ve posted photos here of our adventures.

I know family vacations like this often come home filled with horror stories of arguments, upsets, and promises to never do that again. We had a couple of brief tough spots and then easily moved on. We were a team, creating our fun times and explorations together, allowing everyone space to be who they are.

Here are some tips for creating your own Awesome Adventures:

1. Do them! Without choosing an experience or destination and putting it in your calendar, everything that follows is meaningless. Make the time. Be courageous!

2. Choose an adventure you can easily do, not one that will cause you more stress. A 4-hour visit to a cool museum or into nature may be a better fit for you than a week camping or exploring New York City. Make it comfortably do-able.

3. Remember you want to create a win-win experience, so choose your adventure to delight everyone. Asking someone to fit into your agenda or need to see the relatives without including special experiences for everyone may not be so promising.

4. Focus on your highest priority. For most of us, this is going to be having fun together. Remember this during those moments of misunderstanding or annoyance, which are bound to occur. Be responsible for your own emotions and behavior in how your respond. You don’t want a knock-down-drag-out over the choice of a restaurant.

5. Get out in Nature. It is simply good for everyone. One of the wonderful things about being in Nature is she invites you to s-l-o-w down, to smell the wildflowers, to enjoy the inspiring view and to BE. Nature will also touch your heart, creating an opportunity for you and your family to feel more present and connected to one another.

We all go into summer with lots of anticipation of fun family times. What can you do to have even more Awesome Adventures with your family this summer? Please share in ‘Comments’ below.

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Happy trails!

To your Joyous Family!
Connie