I’ve been traveling non-stop this summer. I don’t think I’ve had more than one weekend evening to spend out in New York City with friends in almost nine weeks. I’ve been all over the US, visiting friends, family, wineries, islands, and seeing concerts. This last weekend, though, might have been one of my favorite trips of the whole run.
Though Orlando may not seem like an exciting travel destination in and of itself, a weekend of roller coasters and motion simulators at Universal Studios turned into a amazing weekend of travel as I headed there with 3 young kids – two of my nieces (ages 11 and 9) and one of my nephews (age 6). The experience of seeing movie magic with children thrilled me almost as much as my favorite travel destinations.
Why?
Because sometimes, we take life seriously. Daily chores, housekeeping, work. Travel can even get serious.
Seeing these kids get excited about silliness and amusement park adventures makes me remember that travel isn’t always about finding something profound or learning something new. Every place we go can’t always teach us a life lesson – though they can try.
Sometimes, it’s just about fun.
Especially when it involves Harry Potter…
And real life interpretations of our favorite books and cartoons…
And being magically we can be transported to our favorite travel destinations for a taste of what it’s like outside our country… (Here, the Portofino Hotel – staged to bring us back to Portofino, Italy, that cozy fishing village on the Italian Riviera)
And the natural light show of a brilliant Florida sunset to remind us that both fantasy and reality can exist together, if we let them.
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