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Tips For Traveling Sanely & Happily With Young Kids

3/27/2017

The Aventura kids are great travelers... and we know why!

Congratulations to our friends and family members on making it to Spring Break! Whether you're an educator, a parent, a child, or just a single traveler about to head out for your April vacation - making it through the winter is something to celebrate! We hope and trust that you'll have a lovely, relaxing trip.

The Aventura family will benefit enormously from America's Spring Break this year. In just four days, Soccer Dude's best friend "Mini-Müller" is flying with his lovely mother all the way from California to Spain to spend one full week of school vacation with us!

Soccer Dude (R) with his best friend Mini-Müller (L) last summer before we moved to Spain.

Since we were all kids once, anyone can probably imagine the excitement building in our home right now. Soccer Dude, our wonderful and silly nine year old fútbol player, has already begun to smile from ear to ear. He has been counting down the days since Christmas! Right now he has a skip in his step, a twinkle in his eye and he can barely sleep at night... so busy adding up the hours and minutes until his best buddy arrives.

After nearly nine months - and six thousand miles - apart, this will be a reunion for the ages! We're really looking forward to showing Mini-Müller and his amazing mama the very best sides of Barcelona and Spain, and have all kinds of fun activities planned. What a joy it will be to share photos and stories soon from their visit!

Before they can get to us though, our friends must embark upon a LOOOONNNNGGGG journey!

With this in mind, and because we will be blessed to have several additional families visiting us from home in Spain this summer, I've decided to put together a post sharing our favorite strategies for keeping children happily occupied during long flights, train rides, taxi rides, bus travel and even when eating in restaurants.

Whether you're flying 11 hours from Los Angeles International Airport to London or just popping up or down the coast for a day at your local beach, these simple tips may help make your trip with children a better experience. Some of the suggestions may be new for you, and others will probably seem like basic common sense.

I'll also include an extra tip about travel identification that gives me huge peace of mind when traveling with my own kiddos.... and important advice for traveling abroad with children when both parents won't be flying together.

This information has been invaluable for our family as we've traveled around the world since our children were tiny!

The Fun Bag

What's that you're so serious about, Mister? Oh yeah, Mad Libs! (Photo by T. Brunson)

One of the things my children love the most about traveling, believe it or not, is 'the fun bag'. Before we embark on a big journey, I typically pop off to the local 99c store, Michael's craft store or Bed, Bath & Beyond... a European equivalent would perhaps be Tiger. At this type of store I purchase an inexpensive fabric bag (the best kind have drawstrings) that can be easily stowed in the front pocket of a carry on suitcase, or thrown quickly into a backpack. Another suggestion would be to get a drawstring sports bag, the kind you might use to carry your child's soccer uniform and water bottle in to their team practices or games.

Once I have the bag, which I prefer to buy cheaply, I can begin filling it.

I create one fun bag for each child and individualize each bag to his or her interests. Since I have three children, I typically create three fairly different fun bags (because my kids are of different ages and have very different interests). I keep the items small, inexpensive, replaceable and disposable so that there will be few to no tears shed if my child happens to misplace his/her fun bag on our trip.

Here are some of the many items I have included at one time or another in the past in fun bags:

Small packets of LEGOs
Coloring books and crayons
Books of mazes or puzzles
Books of tongue twisters and riddles
Mad Libs
Travel journal
Rainbow loom bracelet/necklace materials (gazillions of little rubber bands)
New stuffed animals
Books (one or more, depending on the length of the trip and the reading level of the child)
Origami paper
Simple crafts
Travel guides written for kids about the place we are visiting
Deck of cards
Small disposable games including board games
Stickers

The beauty of a 'fun bag' is that you can always replenish it along the way, and leave behind items that are broken, missing pieces or no longer useful. I also appreciate how easy it is to affordably customize a fun bag, so that each child can enjoy a unique experience suited to their own personality. Your child will always have something to do, and maybe you can actually enjoy the ride too!

Hmmm... what should I read now, Mommy? (Photo by T. Brunson)

Another key element is surprise. While I do allow my kids to offer suggestions for their favorite kinds of items that might 'show up' in a fun bag, I try to keep the contents of the bags a surprise until we are seated on the airplane, train, or other area where it would benefit everyone (including those around us) if my children are well behaved. The surprise factor really helps to keep the children engaged and entertained for long flights or train rides, and it also prevents them from playing with (and tiring of) the contents of their fun bag before the actual trip.

Bring Your Own Food

Okay, it doesn't have to be fancy! Just something your kids will actually eat.

I actually don't mind airplane or train food at all, especially since you can order your meal in advance. There are always gluten free options available by pre-order on my favorite airlines, and while they may sometimes be very simple meals (chicken and rice, fish and rice) I find them to be perfectly acceptable.

However! Depending on any airline, train company or even restaurant to supply your kids with the foods that will keep them relaxed and happy can be a very risky business! It's a slippery slope because if your child doesn't like the food the travel company has provided, he or she won't eat.

If he or she doesn't eat (as all parents know) your child will become grumpy, uncomfortable, loud, possibly whiny or hyper, and in all likelihood irritating to everyone around him or her. Children who go too long without eating (or who eat only the dessert portion of the meal) become a little... crazy. (Or maybe A LOT crazy!)

There's an easy fix to this potential disaster though. Simply plan on buying food in the airport or train station; or, if you are allowed to do so, bring it from home! (Most airport security will not let you bring your own food through, but most train security will!)

I try to make sure my children always have access to a protein-based snack and some fruit, no matter where we are or how long we are going to be there. A handful of honey-roasted peanuts and an apple make a world of difference to a child that is about to LOSE IT big-time. Other options include sliced cured salami, small sandwiches, granola bars, veggie sticks, potato chips (although these can be messy), and croissants.

Protein is always, always a good thing when traveling with kiddos. Did I mention always?

Essentially, the food you bring should be customized to your own child, especially if they have allergies or food preferences. I cannot emphasize enough how much bringing your own food along for the ride can make even the worst situation better.

Stuck on a subway that has broken down, with your hungry five year old? You'll be so thankful you have food and water with you. Has your airplane been delayed on the tarmac for an hour or two? Bingo, you're winning, thanks to those granola bars in your handbag. Thirty more minutes until your bus or shuttle arrives? Hurray for string cheese!

It may seem like extra weight to lug around, but once your cutie pie gets hungry and cranky, that food will be worth its weight in gold!

Play Mind Games (with and without paper)

When all else fails, don't forget that children can be amused and distracted for hours by playing simple mental games (some of which require pencil and paper, some that don't). Examples include:

I Spy (e.g. "I spy, with my little eye, something blue!")
Tic-Tac-Toe
Hangman
Making mazes for each other to solve
Brainstorming items that all start with the same sound/letter
M.A.S.H. and paper 'fortune tellers'

Kids also love hearing stories from their parents or other adults about what life was like 'when you were young'. Even though I still feel about seventeen inside, my children see me at 41 as quite elderly, haha! So, I can keep them fascinated for a long time telling them stories about life 'back in the olden times' before cell phones, home computers, the Internet, downloading movies and music, etc. (How ever did we survive? Hahaha!)

In the end, children are resourceful and can make a game out of nearly anything if given the opportunity! Traveling provides a wonderful time to encourage their creativity.

Travel Necklaces for Kids = Peace Of Mind For Parents!

Notice the flesh colored 'travel necklace' Little Angel is wearing. So helpful!

When you travel internationally with kids you want to be sure that if there is ever a surprise problem or accident, your children can be identified quickly and returned to you or your family with ease.

However, it isn't the best idea to have your children carry their own official passports or identification cards - especially not the little ones. When my children were four, six and eight, they very frequently forgot their books, toys and belongings nearly everywhere we traveled!

Accordingly, I always kept all their passports safely tucked into my own waist money belt, safe from pickpockets and other mishaps.

Still, sometimes we traveled in crowded cities like Rome and Madrid. There were plenty of moments when we could have gotten separated from an adventurous child who'd decided to wander off for a moment. Getting lost in a foreign city where you don't speak the language might be exciting for some adults, but for young children it would be quite scary.

Due to this reality, I invented the 'travel necklace' concept for our family. You could really call it anything you like! Each time before we embark upon a summer of international transatlantic travel, I go to REI (or any other travel store) and purchase each child what the companies (like Eagle Creek) call a 'neck wallet'. It's really just a soft carrier that goes around your neck and can be worn comfortably under your shirt without being seen.

I buy the cheapest, softest one of these for each child that I can find (best if you can find them in different colors so they are easily identifiable if you have more than one child... but one benefit of using the flesh-colored neck wallet is that it really becomes camouflaged under the child's outfit).

Our boys prefer darker colors for their travel IDs.

I then go to the local copy store and make a color xerox of the front pages of each child's passport, and have them laminated. Once the lamination is no longer warm, I take a Sharpie or permanent marker and write down my international cell phone number and my husband's cell phone number on the reverse side of the laminated passport page, along with an address where we may be reached in the country we are visiting. If we're going to more than one country, I give the address that would be simplest to use to track us down.

I fold each lightweight, laminated passport page with contact information and place it into the neck wallet for that child. From the second we leave California, my children wear the neck wallets (we call them 'necklaces') and I rest easy with peace of mind that if my children and I ever become accidentally separated, it will be very easy for authorities to identify them and find me or their extended family members.

Depending on the age of your child you can opt to put some emergency money into this necklace as well, in case they need to buy food or to pay to use the bathroom or make a telephone call. My children always have their ID and a few Euro coins with them when we travel in Europe outside of Barcelona.

Traveling With Kids Without Your Spouse? Visit A Notary First!

Don't ride the wheel of fortune with Customs and Border Control... if traveling solo visit a notary first!

Perhaps not all countries are the same, but in the United States there are laws about whether one parent can take their child(ren) out of the country alone. Legally (although I don't know if it is always enforced) you may be required to show proof via notarized letter that you have permission to leave the country with your children if you are not traveling with your spouse. (I assume this is due to complicated custody battles and parents who have 'kidnapped' their own children to keep sole custody. Yikes!)

Every time when I have traveled internationally with my children separately from my husband, we have always visited a USA notary first to verify in writing that both parents are comfortable with this arrangement and approve it. I've only been asked to show this proof once or twice in all of these years traveling separately, but better safe than sorry! I can't imagine arriving at an international airport to be told that I don't have the right to travel with my own child (without notarized proof that my husband agrees)... or vice versa. Receiving that bad news a few minutes before boarding your flight could roil even the best vacation!

We hope and trust that these little tips and strategies can help your family plan for wonderful travel adventures during your spring break, weekend getaway, or coming summertime months! As they say here in Spain, 'Que le vaya bien!'

Happy Trails To You!!!

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Spain, An Affordable Paradise With Kids

3/21/2017

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Frolicking freely on Playa de la Concha, San Sebastian

Can you tell by now that I've fallen head over heels in love with Spain? I will never be able to thank my husband enough for steering our international journey toward this incredible country.

Why do I love it so?

Why do I think you should visit Spain for your cherished summer vacation?

I could talk your ear off about this subject; but let me narrow the reasons down to three.

1) Spain is BEAUTIFUL. 2) It's safe and friendly. 3) It's extremely affordable, especially with kids!

In this post I'm going to focus on reason number three, so that you can have a concrete idea of the savings you'll find with ease if you choose to travel to Spain.

Flying To Spain & Around Spain - Cheaply!!!

I cannot believe our good luck, but just this year... as in within the last few months... our cherished city of Barcelona became a main hub for two low-cost airlines that will now fly directly to Los Angeles (and other U.S. cities).

Norwegian Air

High quality 'budget airline' Norwegian Air announced last Fall that beginning on June 5, 2017 they will run a direct flight twice a week between Barcelona and Los Angeles... and for the heaviest travel month of August, they'll even expand their service to three times per week! Norwegian is a no-frills airline where you pay only for the services you want; so if you decide to bring only a carry-on bag and your own food, you'll pay a lot less for a ticket than the passenger next to you with three bags who wants to dine Norwegian style.

Norwegian uses Boeing 787 Dreamliners for this route. When my husband and eldest son traveled to Barcelona on Norwegian Air last summer they reported back that it was a perfect, comfortable flight equipped with the latest technology.

Direct flights take place on Mondays and Fridays... and while prices vary based on your dates of travel I just looked and was able to find a direct flight between Barcelona and LAX (roundtrip) leaving in June and returning in July for 632 euro (tax included). That's $681 round trip at the very height of summer! A great deal for a 'high season' flight.

Norwegian will also be running direct flights from Barcelona to Oakland and Newark! This is fantastic news for our friends and relatives on both coasts of the United States of America.

Are you packed yet?

Level Airlines

Don't write this airline off just because you've never heard of it before! This brand new carrier is legit, safe, and it can save you a bundle.

Just last week, the IAG group (parent to British Airways, Iberia and Vueling) announced that it has decided to give Norwegian Air some competition in the low cost, international, direct flights to USA market! (Woohoo, when airlines compete, travelers win!!!)

IAG has created a new airline named "Level" that will be staffed and run by Iberia, at least initially. Level Airlines will be based out of - you guessed it - Barcelona!!!

This new budget international airline will fly two brand new Airbus 330-300s direct between Barcelona and LAX or Barcelona and Oakland.

Much like on Norwegian, Level Airlines passengers will get only what they want to pay for. WIFI, extra luggage and food will all cost more than the base fare... which started off last week with an introductory sale as low as $198 round trip! I'm not joking!

You can spend the same price to fly between Los Angeles and Barcelona on Level Airlines as you'd spend on two tickets to Disneyland! (More on that later).

Level will run this flight twice a week starting in June, and currently you can purchase tickets for their direct flights using Iberia's website. It will say, "Operated by Iberia for Level" when you select your flight. (You'll be able to see the difference right away, since the tickets are so much cheaper than Iberia's other fares.)

I suggest you book soon though... the airline sold 52K tickets on its first day in business!

Vueling and RyanAir

If you haven't traveled by air in Europe before, you may not know Vueling and RyanAir. These airlines remind me of Southwest, although perhaps a bit less luxurious. Vueling and RyanAir are the low-cost budget airlines of Europe. You can get fares between Spain and London, for example, for less than 20 euro. Right now, for example, Vueling is running a promotion called POSSIBLE where you can book tickets for next winter from Barcelona (and many other Spanish cities) to fly all over Europe for 19.99 euro. From Barcelona to Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rome, Zurich, Venice... all of them for 19.99. Wow!!!

Vueling is actually based out of Barcelona, while RyanAir (based in Dublin and London) flies regionally out of Girona, about an hour outside of Barcelona. Either way, you can get insane deals flying all around Europe using these two airlines. Vueling carries the same safety rating from AirlineRatings (7 out of 7 stars) as its fancier sisters British Airways and Iberia. Neither Vueling nor RyanAir has ever been involved in a fatal crash.

Travel By Train In Spain... RENFE's Family Deals Are Amazing!!!

Are you loving Spain yet? If not, you're about to!

RENFE is the Spanish National Train System. Spanish train travel is smooth, beautiful, relaxing, and - get this - all children (ages 4 - 14) get their seat for 40% off. Children under 4? Travel for free!!! as long as they share a seat with their parents.

Every day. All distances. All classes. All trains.

Yes, that's right. I'm saying your kids will travel in Spain for either just under half-price, or free!

Think this is too good to be true? Check out the official RENFE site and you can read about it for yourself. You should also investigate the RENFE Spain Pass, where you can purchase 4, 6, 8 or 10 journeys to be used within a month... also at a discounted price.

Spain LOVES and welcomes children!

The Best Art and Science Museums You Could Dream Of... For Free!

Museums all over Spain offer reduced cost admission for families and free entry for children. For example, the world famous City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia (housing an IMAX, Oceanography museum and Science Museum) offers single and multi-day deals with tickets for less than 7 euro for children ages 4-12. At the prestigious Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, children under age 12 have free admission! The Museo Del Prado in Madrid also offers free entry to all children under age 18, along with free entry for university students ages 18-25. Wow!

My children were dumbfounded by the insanely beautiful, extremely educational CosmoCaixa Science Museum here in Barcelona. It is without question the most interesting science museum we've experienced so far, with engaging exhibits that change seasonally and a deep focus on scientific research. From teaching children about the human brain and how it is affected by addiction to showing them the science of cooking through workshops, this museum does NOT condescend to children! Rather, it treats them as highly capable individuals who can understand complex material with ease. Thanks to their many, many hands-on experiments, I can barely tear my children away after an entire day... and we've visited many times now!

Best of all, it's free for children under 16 and only 4 euro per adult. With a stunning view all the way to the Mediterranean sea, a 'toca-toca' room where your kids can pet interesting animals under supervision, a restaurant and even a mini aquarium... this place is absolutely a top of the list MUST SEE destination!

Port Aventura, The Least Expensive Theme Park You'll Ever LOVE

When my kids were little and growing up in San Diego, we used to see advertisements for Disneyland on television. It looked so magical, with the fairy godmother from Cinderella casting her sparkling spell and everyone dancing around for a nighttime parade of lights.

"Can we go to Disneyland, Mommy?" my sons used to ask me.
I'd always respond, "Oh, that would be great!" I meant it, too!

I can't tell you the number of times Señor Aventura and I discussed trying to plan a family Disneyland trip over the past twelve years. In the end though, we only went to Disneyland twice... and never as a family, just in groups of 2 or 3. Even though we lived only an hour away!

Why didn't we go? Well, we're a family of five! A single day at Disneyland - just to walk through those famous, magical gates - costs us $500! That doesn't include food, ice cream, drinks, souvenirs or anything extra. Doesn't include the cost of gasoline between San Diego and Anaheim, or the price of the insane Disneyland parking lot that can take an hour or more to exit if you hit it at the wrong time of night.

To put this another way, I could buy 2.5 round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Spain on Level Airlines for the cost of taking my family to Disneyland for a single day.

Still, financial reality didn't stop my kids from craving rollercoasters and theme parks. They adore them, and would jump at any opportunity to have a fun day cruising rides and thrilling coasters in a brightly-colored manmade land.

Enter Port Aventura. We discovered this incredible Spanish theme park two years ago and even now, we're still amazed.

Waiting for a very fun ride!

Located just an hour's drive from Barcelona on the Costa Dorada of Spain (near Tarragona) this enormous and beautiful park features six different 'worlds' all of which have their own rides, attractions, shows and restaurants.

The six worlds feature Meditterànea, Polynesia and China among others. They are fabulously clean and enormous.

Lines for the more popular rides can take a while (nothing like Disneyland) but there is plenty of shade to be found along with relaxing places to dine that will appeal to adults as much as kids.

Here's the most amazing part. Tickets to Port Aventura cost only 47 euro (adults) and 40 euro (children)!!!! Would you like to stay for two days? If so you can buy 2-day passes for 56 euro adults, 48 euro kids!

My family can spend two full days at Port Aventura for half of the price of a single day at Disneyland. Plus, there are many more rollercoasters and attractions to see!

Real Life Action Shot... Ha Ha Ha! We were terrified :)

Our family loves Port Aventura. Perhaps its no coincidence that we call ourselves La Familia Aventura!!! Hahaha!

These are just a handful of reasons why, especially if your budget is tight, you should truly consider vacationing this year in glorious Spain! Joyful, once-in-a-lifetime memories are a bargain here.

Coming soon, I'll give more examples of many modestly priced (and extremely fun!) indoor and outdoor activities you will love experiencing with your kids in Europe!

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Europe This Summer? Yes, Please! Here's How.

3/13/2017

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Proving you CAN take a 4, 6 and 8 year old to Europe for the summer... and have a great time! (2014)

Over the last few weeks many dear friends from home have gotten in touch to let us know that they're seriously considering taking us up on our standing offer to host everyone in Spain this summer. How exciting! We don't know who will be more eager for their journeys... them or us! Welcoming our family and friends from home is such a delight, especially since we've taken the plunge and decided to extend our time living here in Barcelona.

We miss our loved ones and can't wait to share the beauties of our adopted city and country with them!

Planning an international adventure, especially if you haven't traveled much in Europe before, can feel daunting! There are so many options... so much to choose from... and it's hard to know where to start!

Understanding this, I decided to put together a blog post highlighting answers to a couple of questions several friends from home have asked... little tidbits that could help anyone thinking of trying to bring their family abroad on a shoestring.

Book Your Flights Early

Of course your little ones can fly internationally! They're more resilient travelers than the grownups!

If you're seriously considering traveling in Europe for the summer, get your international flights now. The earlier, the better. (Late January is an ideal time to buy, but March is better than May!) Don't wait, thinking you'll get a better deal in the future. Bite the bullet and just purchase them! You'll be glad you did.

July and August are the most popular times for travel in Europe, and don't forget that most Europeans also take a month of vacation at this time of year. Our city, Barcelona, feels a bit empty in August as many businesses and offices are closed while their employees go on holiday at the seashore. So, airlines are able to fill every seat on their planes with foreign and domestic travelers, keeping fares sky-high at this time of year. A last minute ticket in the summer can run you many thousands of dollars, pounds or euro... purchasing the same ticket in Winter or early Spring could save you a bundle.

Try to book your flights on a Tuesday or a Wednesday... if you look at flight calendars for various airlines you will see that these are typically the cheapest days of the week to fly, and published fares drop on these days as well.

Your tickets will be cheaper if you aren't picky about sitting together on a flight, or about where you want to sit. That said, I often pay the extra $40 a ticket to make sure my family can sit together near a bathroom because with kids, you don't want to be multiple aisles away from your adult traveling partner or the bathroom when your little person needs to 'go potty'. I've also flown to Europe multiple times with just my children, which has been just fine, but absolutely better when we are sitting together.

Make Your Money Work For You... Accrue Airline Miles

If you're going to buy it anyway, might as well rack up the airline miles! (Photo Credit: T. Brunson)

Let's face it, if you have to pay for groceries, school tuition or daycare anyway, you might as well get something for it! My husband and I both selected credit cards that accrue airline miles on our favorite airlines (him: American; me: British Airways). Most airlines have relationships with credit card companies I think!

You can see if your favorite airline offers the chance to build up free miles by using a certain bank's card. I use my Chase British Airways Visa card to pay for everything (medical bills, soccer team fees, you name it) and then immediately pay off the monthly bill in full out of our checking account.

Thanks to these credit card programs we've earned several free tickets to Europe and also additional tickets at vastly reduced costs. It's completely legal and completely worth it! I highly recommend looking into how to make your money work for you! How wonderful if your daily errands and Starbucks can help pay for your once-a-year bucket list adventure!

Airport Security Lines: Be Patient and Prepared

When you're stuck in an airport security line, just picture yourself in a different kind of crowd... say, in front of the Mona Lisa! Totally worth it! (Photo credit: T. Brunson)

I think we'd all agree that airport security is necessary these days, even when it's a pain.

The main thing is to be mentally prepared for it, especially if you're flying into a big international hub like Heathrow or Charles De Gaulle.

Try to remember that you can only bring certain types of toiletries and that anything that's like a gel, creme or liquid needs to fit in one sandwich ziploc sized clear plastic bag.

It actually really helps to be traveling as a family, because since I have three children, I get to bring one plastic bag for me and one for each of them (4 bags!) and so we have room for all of the toothpaste, shampoo, body wash and lotion we may need in those little bags.

If you bring bottles of anything that are larger than 4oz they will be confiscated at the airport (this includes drinking water) so do yourself a favor and pack correctly in advance.

You can find small travel-size bottles at stores like "Bed, Bath and Beyond" or on Amazon.Com.

It will save you a huge headache to have your toiletries correctly sorted out when you are going through security and customs.

Expect to go through a full body scanner when you arrive in Europe. Plan on taking off your jewelry, passport carriers, wallets, shoes, boots, belts and anything else the security team wants to put through the x-ray machine.

Twice my children have been subjected to a full body scan at Heathrow (when they were little no less, ages 4 and 6 the first time) but I understand the principle... there are no exceptions. My four year old's Doc Marten zipper boots may have been concealing something; so better that they check than not.

I try to smile at the workers, thank them, and comply patiently with their demands... because ultimately they have an awful, thankless job dealing with irritated travelers all day long. They keep all of us safer and I appreciate how hard they work to make sure that our planes can do their job and get us to our destinations!

Consider A Home Exchange

Not sure about home exchanges? Worried about a scratch or a stain? Really? Wouldn't this kind of memory be worth it?

If you've always wanted to visit Europe but can't fathom how to pay for your entire family to do so, I recommend that you seriously consider a home exchange. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, you might be surprised by how many Europeans might be interested in exchanging lives with you for a week or two!

We all take for granted the things that make our areas of the world interesting and cool. In my hometown, San Diego, it's pretty easy to find reasons why a European family might want to visit. We have beaches, mountains, sailing, surfing, golf, theme parks, delicious food and a good nightlife to offer... and that's just the beginning!

You might think to yourself, "Oh, who would want to exchange with me... I have only a one-bedroom apartment with no view." Put yourself in the shoes of someone from Europe though, who has always dreamed of coming to your country or city. To them, a one-bedroom apartment in California, New York or London might seem like paradise! A outdoorsy adventure in Colorado or Arizona might be the thing they've been dreaming of since they were little. Being able to come to your hometown and live there for free might be the best thing they could imagine!

Feel like you're biting off more than you can chew? Nah... you can do it!

There are multiple online platforms you can use to arrange a home exchange, but the one we've used in the past is called HomeExchange.Com. We have high confidence in this company and how it is run, and we've had mainly great experiences.

Putting together a house profile on HomeExchange.Com is not unlike putting together a dating profile on something like Match.Com.

You take nice photos of your house in good lighting... emphasizing any good points like a garden, a well-appointed kitchen, a view, a fireplace... really anything that you think is the best part of your home. Along with the photos you post a little 'bio' of your home and its finer points, along with a description of the neighborhood. Do you have restaurants in walking distance? Do you have a bicycle or surfboard they could borrow while staying at your house? All of these things serve to make your ad attractive and welcoming.

There is a one-time yearly cost to advertise your home (and you can choose different levels of price, as I recall) and then you're off and running! You will be AMAZED at how many offers you are likely to receive... not just from families in other countries, but a lot of times from families in your own country!

Who me? Messy? Awww shucks... with a face like this?

In our first year on HomeExchange we received approximately 300 offers of exchanges. I am not kidding. 300! We could have been traveling all of the time, if we weren't working.

The hardest part is to find a family that wants to exchange with you at the same time you want to exchange with them... in an area that you really want to visit.

Sometimes a family will want to exchange with you in June but your vacation isn't until August. Sometimes a family from Finland will want to come to your home, but your dream destination is Bali!

Finding a perfect match can take real time and work... you might have to sift through 50 or 100 offers to find the right one. Or maybe, you'll get lucky on your first try!

Señor Aventura and I advise that you be as candid as possible with potential exchange partners from the get-go.

Are you a meticulously tidy person that wants to return home to find your house EXACTLY as you left it? If so, be clear about that from the beginning! Make sure you're well matched to the other family.

Are you a large, laid-back and relaxed family that isn't going to mind a little wear and tear, but also wants to be sure that the other family feels the same way? Be honest and clear from the beginning.

A few summers ago, we participated in two exchanges. One was amazing! The other... not so much.

The difference lay in the attitude of the exchange partners.

The Italian exchange family that year had completed 33 prior exchanges and so when their sink got stopped up and needed to be unclogged while we were staying there, they were supremely relaxed about it. "If you do not break a dish, scratch the floor and clog a toilet, it will be as if you have not lived at all!" the father kindly exclaimed with a smile and then called for plumbing help.

We felt incredibly grateful and quite at home (and are still very good friends to this day with his family).

Our French exchange family with one child had never done an exchange before and they had expectations that did not match the reality of travel with three small American children. We were horrified upon arrival to find that they had only a snow white sofa in the house and no extra blanket or sheet in the entire house to cover it with. (We went out and bought one.)

Ironically, it was their own cat that got mud on the white sofa after a rainstorm during our stay! When they arrived home to find this spot on the sofa, DVDs out of order, pieces from board games played with and not properly returned to the right areas of their boxes, and a spoon somewhere on the floor - they were furious.

We received a long list of itemized problems, all of which were very tiny. We realized then our mistake... we'd not understood that personality plays a lot into a home exchange. They should have exchanged with a different kind of family that was similarly fastidious. We should have found an exchange partner that was more relaxed about little things.

Despite that one bad experience, there are so many positives to a home exchange! It will give you the chance to live for free, like a native, around the world... and other than your flight and entertainment, your living costs will be just as if you were still at home! We recommend exchanging homes very highly and would certainly exchange again in the future!

Rather Than A Hotel, Consider An AirBNB!

Not such a bad view from your AirBNB apartment, right?

We are a family of five.

This means that we cannot possibly book a single hotel room, even with double beds. We exceed all occupancy restrictions (Max = 4) and sometimes have been told we must book three rooms!

(Um, so if there needs to be an adult in each room, the 11 year old is supposed to stay all by himself? Hahahah, he'd love that.)

For us, AirBNB has been a travel revelation. For the same price as a single hotel room, our large family can stay in the comfort of an actual apartment or house in a real neighborhood!

In an AirBNB we have access to a kitchen, laundry, WIFI and all of the comforts of home.

We can have multiple bedrooms so that everyone has privacy, gets a good night sleep and can be well rested for the vacation! Some AirBNBs even have toys, games and movies for us to enjoy.

Many come with parking spaces for our car, which can be key when you're staying in a dense city with little to no street parking for non-residents.

We also like knowing the people who are actually renting their homes out... and having their support if anything may go wrong.

For example In our last AirBNB stay, the WIFI was down and with a few simple texts to the owner, the entire situation got sorted out right away. We've even made friends with a few of the families whose homes we've rented!

Our family has used AirBNB almost 30 times in the past three years (no joke!) and we've had only one or two less positive experiences... including the bed bugs in Paris, when AirBNB stood behind us 100%. Mostly it's been amazing, and some of the homes have been insanely luxurious.

My best AirBNB tip... read all of the reviews written about each apartment, to get an honest and authentic understanding of what your experience will be like.

Try to steer toward the apartments that have earned the largest number of (positive) reviews. If 3 former guests have given a place 5 stars, it carries a lot less weight than when 90 guests have given a place 5 stars!

We work hard every time to leave each AirBNB as clean or cleaner than we found it, so that when we contact potential hosts, they know from reading host reviews on our profile that they will be working with an honest, responsible family.

Okay... that's all for now! It's a lot to wrap your head around... but you can do it!!!
Good luck and happy trip planning. You'll never regret taking these steps toward making your travel dreams come true!

See the world and live your dreams!!!

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Fancy A Ski Holiday? Visit Magical Cerdanya!

3/5/2017

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Blue skies. Pristine snow-capped mountains. Empty ski slopes with fresh powder. Peaceful pastures full of cows and horses gently grazing, not to mention castles revealing themselves in the most unexpected places. A journey to Cerdanya in late February is nothing short of wintry bliss.

One could not ask for a more perfect family road trip, since the drive there from Barcelona is visually interesting and blessedly short. In less than two hours travel from our densely populated metropolis we reach thickly wooded forests and a vast lush valley set amid the Pyrenees.

We stay in Queixans, a tiny hillside town of just a few hundred people in peak season. Indeed we nearly miss the turn off the highway, this town is so small. While waiting to get house keys, the children goof around and make friends with a local.

Queixans offers no market, no pharmacy, no shops. No people either, it seems! Just an array of beautiful, interconnected stone homes set into the hillside around a lovely little creek... and one elegant restaurant.

We've been told we may run into a famous Barca soccer player or two here, with their families. This sleepy little hillside town is highly desirable, and just 4km away from the much larger town of Puigcerdà. In good weather it would be an easy walk.

Our home away from home in Queixans

In five days and four nights, we have only brief glimpses of a few neighbors dining al fresco with their families. In general, the modern stone village is empty... all of its temporary residents off skiing by day (as are we). It's glorious, expansive parks are vacant, no laughing children on playgyms or swings. This is a town of weekenders, city folk who drive north on Friday to enjoy the peace of their second homes in the country.

Empty parks all over Cerdanya mid-week... we've snuck into a weekender's paradise.

After ten minutes here though we understand. We would like a tiny second house in the country too! Why not? What a lovely dream for 'someday'! We check the real estate listings for fun... and are amazed. A brand new three or four bedroom house with such spectacular vistas for less than 200,000 euro? In this pristine spot, just moments from both ski slopes and summer river rafting?

Yes, please!

We luxuriate in our comfortable AirBNB, enjoying five days without having to worry about bothering upstairs or downstairs neighbors (since there are none).

We teach the children how to play pool, which becomes their new obsession. "Wow Mom, you're really good," they say as I run the table and best their father; I love that I am still able to surprise my children with these tiny skills (like speaking in Italian) that they'd not known I possess. For ten entire minutes, I glory in being a 'cool' mom/pool shark.

We ski. We, who have never, ever skied before as a family, ski. We wake early, drive forty minutes through the glorious valley and along curving mountain roads, and ascend into the heavenly sky.

We find our adventure at the mountain's peak... in Aransa, a perfect quiet ski resort geared to cross-country skiing (known here as ski de fondo).

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Our instructor is Jesus. He is patient; he is kind. He strikes me as highly intelligent with an impressive physical memory. He tells us that he lives nearby; he is from Aransa. Jesus gives us two family lessons, teaching all five of us simultaneously. Not an easy feat, with students ranging in age from forty-two to seven!

He watches us attempt each new exercise, individually, and then closes his eyes as though reviewing all he has seen, remembering the unique angle of our every move. He opens his eyes and fixes them upon me.

Our talented instructor, Jesus, showing a move to Sr. Aventura and Little Angel.

"When you were coming down the path this time, at about the midway point, your foot curved to the wrong side," he explains in Spanish. "Your ski should make this angle," he demonstrates, "But instead it made this one." He shows me how to curve my long, thin cross country ski correctly, so that I can see the word SALOMON tilted clearly toward me as it brushes through the snow.

He is especially patient and gentle with seven year-old Little Angel, who spends her first two hours on skis with a red and frustrated face, falling down over and over again. "I can't do it!" she protests tearfully after the first hour. "This is too hard!"

Jesus works calmly with her while the rest of us practice our exercises. "She lacks only confidence," he explains to me in Spanish. "Once she has the confidence, the skiing will be easy for her."

He is right. He takes her all the way down the slope, holding her hand to make sure she does not fall. She makes it down once, then twice, without crashing.

By the third time down with Jesus, she is smiling... elated. She no longer holds his hand, instead gripping her own poles with enthusiasm. "I did it! I CAN do this, Mommy!" On our second day she is racing past me joyfully. She flies, she stops, she can make turns. Her smile grows wider and more radiant.

So proud to have become a skier!

At the end of the second day, she wins a rare compliment. "Out of all of you I am the most impressed with Little Angel," Jesus announces. "Her brothers are faster of course but they crash much more, because they take many risks and are less attentive. Little Angel's form is the best, because she really listens to the lesson and wants to get the movement exactly right."

"Great work, Little Angel!" her father exclaims. "We're so proud of you!"

She beams.

After five total hours of lessons, we are energized. We attempt our first real cross-country circuit.

La Familia Aventura skis!

I am feeling proud as we start; in two days I have not yet fallen on the slopes. I convince myself that I am a badass, I was obviously born to ski. Hard? No! I convince myself. Not at all! What could be more natural?

"I'm actually pretty great at this!" I tell my husband with a smirk, seconds before I take a hard spill and land flat on my stomach with legs twisted everywhere. Señor Aventura tries (half-successfully) to suppress his laugh. I cannot hold back my own giggles, I am laughing out loud. "Oh well," I grin at him. "You know what they say... pride goeth before the fall!"

Sra. Fuerza remembers how much she enjoys snow.

We love every single second.

The five of us ski with our instructor for two days, around five hours each day. We pay 120 euro in total, all expenses included. This breaks down to 24 euro per person. We cannot believe how affordable it is! "We should come here more often!" my husband and I nod at each other.

For less less than the cost of a single date night with babysitting, our energetic children have learned to ski and are cheerful, tired out and mellow. They make snowballs and snowmen until their hands turn red. #winning! Señor Aventura and I share a smile.

On our last morning, my husband and I awaken feeling fifty years older. We ache like a pair of ninety year olds; he moans about his tailbone, I try to stretch out my sciatica.

"Are we skiing again today?" the children pester us eagerly.
"No," we shake our heads mournfully. "Mom and Dad are too old."

Instead we take them over to La Molina, to the "pista para trineus" (sledding slope). They spend hours sledding down the empty hill, the only children there mid-week. Our boys build a snow ramp and practice trying to catch air with their sleds. Little Angel wears a golden helmet and sparkles as she bombs down the hill again and again.

Señor Aventura and I sit at a table on the opposite slope, watching them sled as we share a delicious lunch of local sausages, freshly cut fries and an incredible egg/cabbage/potato mixture called Trinxat. It's a Catalan favorite, and after one bite, we understand exactly why.

My husband drinks a beer in the sunshine and chats with the older proprietor of the bar, whose family has run the Carles Adserá Sports Bar since the 1920s. He points to show my husband where the main ski slope used to be, and tells him stories of Spanish Olympians training there long ago. He explains what happened after the Spanish Civil War, and shares how La Molina has been built up throughout the years. We love sitting in the sunshine listening to his stories while watching our children sled!

As always in Spain, it feels as though we have stepped back in time. The life here is such a good, solid one. Apart from the occasional Selena Gomez song blasting from the sports bar speaker, we are sitting at a patio table enjoying a view and environs largely untouched by the last century. We are unhurried, delighted.

Soccer Dude loves sledding!

...and what of the Castillo de la Torre del Río, which surprises us as we head back through the pass from La Molina toward Alp? "Is that a real castle?" Little Angel asks us, and at first we cannot be sure.

Surprise!

"It could be a hotel," I speculate aloud, "Or perhaps a house built to look like a castle?" It seems to have fallen straight from the pages of a fairy tale.

We drive down to inspect more closely... Señor Aventura fearlessly plunges Chico Suave the car straight down the gravel road that leads toward the castle's entrance.

The cows stare at us in confusion, as if to say, "This is not the people moving machine we are used to seeing here!"

My husband steps out of the car to read the small Spanish and Catalan placard attached to its thick stone wall.

"It's real!" he exclaims as we inhale the earthy scent of cattle mucking all around us. "It says here that first there was an old Romanesque chapel here... and that is what these thick fourteenth century walls are from. Then it became more of an agricultural property and later, at the end of the 19th century, its owner remodeled it into a France-inspired castle! Kind of sad though... It was abandoned and partly destroyed during the Spanish Civil War... so now the owners mainly live in that little house next door, and farm the land."

We are properly enchanted. We gaze in wonder and appreciation at this unexpected ancient treasure that has popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, just around the bend in the road from the nearby town of Alp. Just when we think we have begun to understand our adopted country, there is always something new to discover!

I have fallen in love with Cerdanya. With every adventure I become more attached to Spain. "The hills are alive with the Sound of Music!" we sing as we cruise home merrily through the Pyrenees. Already we feel a powerful yearning to return.