[trip style = any]
In anticipation of our first getaway with two children under two {AND our dog}—WHAT were we thinking bringing the pup?!? {Sorry Mr. Nacho King}—I painted my nails red, did my hair and put on an extra swipe of mascara. All gussied up for the occasion, I was looking forward to a fabulous foray back into travel following a small hiatus pre- and post-Pink Styler's arrival. With almost 40 international flights and countless hotels under our collective belts WITH Blue Styler in tow, I felt like adding in a newborn and a dog would be no problemo, especially in the context of a local getaway. "We got this," or so I thought.
The Planned Getaway
Our plan: Head to Whistler, a nearby resort destination, to relax in nature, spend some time in the pool, and let other people do the cooking. What could go wrong?!? I booked something posh with included spa amenities {steam + sauna} in the room rate and service befitting a five-star stay. Two cribs, two mini robes, diapering supplies and dog bowls were waiting in our room.
The Fail
Turns out, we "don't got this"—at least on the first try. I'll start with the conclusion: We left early {after night no. 1 of a two-night stay} and abandoned a $250/night room. Fail. This happened for a few reasons, but in large part it was due to our failure to book a two-room suite so the little stylers wouldn't wake each other and we could drink wine in hotel bliss.
To Be Fair
In an effort to be "fair" to our family travel fail, there were a lot of factors at play including Blue Styler getting over sickness, four people being in one room, a chorus of night wake-ups, and a dog who developed a crazy itch while we were there. The odds were stacked against us. We arrived at noon, decided at 6am the next morning the trip was a fail, and promptly left at 9am with red-rimmed eyes and a zombie stride in our step. I'm EVEN MORE embarrassed to admit the Trip Stylers even stopped at McDonald's on the way home. It was that kinda morning.
Lessons Learned
1. Don't bring the dog {when attempting tester-style getaways}.
2. Do bring two strollers. We only brought one stroller, but having our second stroller for Blue Styler would have helped him sit still in a familiar seat for an extra moment.
3. Do book a suite. At this stage {as the little stylers are learning to ignore each other in the night} booking a suite or a vacation rental with two bedrooms would have been a good starting strategy. Even with a sound machine to dampen noise, a studio hotel room does not cut it {right now, not forever}. It's fine with one little styler, not with two under two!
4. Choose to see this fail as a WIN. To quote the popular NBC PSA: "The more you know."
5. Continue to measure life in moments.
All in all, the trip taught us a lot about our current family travel needs and served its purpose as a test trip given we've got a BIG trip booked in November. While I was a bit of a "mess" on the drive back, the situation helped us to appreciate our life at home all the more, and focused our thoughts toward a bunch of exciting changes we've been contemplating. And hey, at least my nails were still red.
[photo by @tripstyler]