OUR FAMILY VACATION FROM HEL—LO, CLEVELAND!

Mary Jo Gerd

I know what you’re thinking, Cleveland is not a valid vacation destination. And while you’re totally right, I am also obligated to take offense because that’s where I grew up. I actually love Cleveland, thank you very much, but it is certainly not Miami Beach. My young family, which at the time consisted of my willing husband, my not-so-willing preschool son, my one year-old still nursing little boy, and me, happily pregnant with our first daughter, were flying from our home in Denver to Cleveland for some much-needed R&R with extended family.

R&R… ummm right…

I recall a not-so-promising start to the trip when the baggage carrier who unloaded our two giant car seats from the cargo hold, took in the state of us, my husband loaded down with luggage like a sherpa, squirming kids in hand, and me with my frazzled look and swollen pregnant belly, “And how are you going to manage this when that little guy comes?” He nodded toward my bump. I quipped, “We will probably never travel again.”

Cue light laughter, followed by ominous music… Ultimately, I was wrong, we did eventually travel again, but it took a good few years til we were stupid brave enough.

 

Where to begin? I could start with the flight itself—searing pregnancy lower back pain while I enjoyed the comfort of all that legroom in coach. My youngest had a bad case of the fidgets, which turned out to be stomach upset. Changing a fully loaded diaper on a packed plane, not recommended. My oldest son asked a ga-zillion questions THE. WHOLE. WAY. And my husband, like a seasoned narcoleptic, began snoring once the pilot turned off the overhead seat belt sign. Up, up and away…

We waited in line for over an hour for a rental car—a luxurious, fully-loaded (not) compact car which was not what we reserved. Apparently there was a big convention in town, as well as a country music festival. I know—Cleveland! From the get-go, we had decided to stay in a hotel in order to be able to spread out and keep our own schedule. We unloaded our bags, dragged the kids and car seats to a middle floor room, unlocked the door and were bowled over by the pungent smell of vintage ashtray. “It’s not that bad, right?” my husband and I tried to tell ourselves as our three year old jumped on the bed shouting, EWWWWWW! It’s stinky in here. Cleveland smells funny!” We lasted a dreadful 15 minutes as I imagined my unborn child chain-smoking a pack of Marlboros. They had no other rooms to offer us, but they were kind enough to direct us to a nearby hotel, similarly priced. Back in the car we went.

My husband dropped me at the hotel entrance so I could ensure they had a room. Nope. Try down the road. Nope. It was early October, so naturally it started snowing. Needless to say we weren’t prepared. I had on a flimsy cardigan. I remember feeling like the Virgin Mary trying to find lodging in Bethlehem. Although, I pictured her way more serene at the front desk. Finally, we found a place that had a room. At this point the kids were melting down, and fast. Crushed goldfish from my purse was no longer cutting it. We opted for fast food. As we sat in our hotel room snarfing down McDonald’s, I texted the fam to let them know we were set up. With excitement, we made plans to see them the next day. That didn’t happen because around 2 am, nature called. The food poisoning set in. It was so bad, the next day we headed to urgent care to ensure none of us was dangerously dehydrated.

The trip did pick up a little from there. Some highlights include being told how cute I looked, “like a little oompa loompa!” and constantly being quizzed about whether or not I was sure I was having twins. NO. TWINS. Or the hotel accidentally losing my son’s favorite stuffed animal when they changed the sheets, and waiting on the tarmac for two excruciating hours because a Presidential candidate had been cleared to land.

Good times.

When we look back on that trip, my husband and I laugh about it. It wasn’t so funny then. It was actually beyond tough. Even writing about the food poisoning, now 11 years later, I wince. But we got through it. In the rear view, there’s so much we would have done differently. Some of our situation was just plain old bad luck, but some of it was because we were inexperienced family travelers—there’s a big difference from an average independent traveler and a family traveler. One path is a lot more clear cut, the other full of more twists and turns, and air sickness. But if there had been a guide who could have wisely counseled us the best area to stay, to pack for snow in case, what restaurants to avoid, and why it’s not ideal visiting family when you're 6 months pregnant and the last time they saw you was pre-kids days…

What if parenting came with a guide to help us map out a more clear route to raising good, respectful kids? What if there were a well-traveled road we could journey on that led to a stronger marriage and a happier family dynamic? Um, yes please!

To solve that need, Families of Character is launching Adventure into Character for moms & dads just like you and me. We are doing our very best as loving, intentional parents, but… are there better ways to avoid all the yelling, bickering, disrespect, and the inevitable drifting apart of our whole family? Most of us are running in a million different directions and we don’t have a ton of time to chart a whole new course. But that’s the thing, by joining the Adventure into Character subscription box series, we get encouragement and mentoring to make the small daily steps today, which will pay off big time down the road! You think our Cleveland trip was bad, imagine “Destination Teenager-ville,” especially when the family is struggling, and not cooperating as a team?

Each box, delivered right to your door, has all the inspiration, parenting resources & tools, and fun activities to help your family begin growing in character. What does that mean? Kids doing chores, both spouses pitching in, more family time together, and oh yeah, a lot more laughter. Family life is going to be a wild adventure no matter what path we choose. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the one without food poisoning. Make it affordable, fun, and super simple to implement—I’m in!

Preorder today for a screaming deal that will ensure you are signed up and ready for the first box—Destination: Organization. You owe it to yourself and your family to take this small step today towards building a foundation of strong character. Unleash limitless potential for the future! Thanks for joining us on this parenting adventure!

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The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load. 

Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

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