The Brady Bunch...Reloaded!

March 2010, I'm talking to a friend who lives in the Midwest and he's telling me about a trip he's planning with his kids in the summer. He wanted to go to a national park, somewhere in California was his first choice.  I had also been wanting to take my kids to a national park, so it was a great opportunity to travel together.

Let me give you some background into my friend and how we met.  As I mentioned, he lives in the Midwest and we had met back in 2007. We are both on this social network called aSW and he had posted that he was coming to Miami.  I rarely get on the website, but did at that time and noticed his post.  I think I wrote back with some tips, and with the back and forth, we ended up meeting for dinner.  I had already looked into his profile and he worked in global marketing for a multinational, so I thought that at least we had something in common in terms of our jobs (I have a market research company).  So we met, a pretty risky move now that I look back...I knew nothing about this guy.  Well, we had a great time at dinner and remained friends.  At the time, he had just separated, and he has 2 kids, a boy and a girl who are each a year older than my kids.

Over the years, we kept in touch, and the more we talked, the more we realized we had a lot in common, so conversation was great. He's from Argentina, loves to travel, likes sports and the outdoors, etc.  Even though we both travel a lot, we never managed to coincide in the same place. It wasn't until the end of 2009 that we saw each other again.  He came to Miami with his family (although not the kids), and he briefly met my children.  Fast forward a few months and we were having the conversation about the summer trip.  After brainstorming and exploring destinations, I convinced him that Maine would be a great option as it was closer and the driving distances were more manageable than California. So we decided to plan a trip to Maine. We did some research and agreed on an itinerary.  He was in charged of finding a house to rent and also the car, and I was in charge of finding a hotel in Portland, Maine (his responsibilities clearly more demanding than mine).  All the expenses were divided in half.

We would meet in Boston, drive to Portland, Maine and spend the first night there.  Then drive north to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, spend 5 nights there, and finally, drive south and stop in Kennebunkport, Maine for one night before heading to Boston to catch our flights back home.  All of a sudden, it was summer, and my kids and I were getting ready for the trip.  As I started telling my friends about it, it became evident that I was a bit crazy for having planned this trip.  After all, I had only seen my friend twice, and I had never met his kids.  Spending a week with another family, going on a road trip, sharing a house, it started to feel daunting.  But I was already in it.  All I knew about his kids was that they liked soccer, and  to me, that's a good sign.  My kids also like soccer, and the fact that they had this is common gave me some peace of mind.  At least I assumed we were all active people.  But that was about it, and with kids, you never know if they will get along.  Oh well, I take chances in life, and this was one of them.

So there we were, my kids and I at Logan Airport in Boston, at the car rental place, waiting with anticipation for our road trip companions.  I think we were all a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect.  Now I wonder what my kids were silently asking themselves, "What the heck is mom thinking? Planning a vacation with strangers."  They finally arrived, the introduction was slightly uncomfortable, but there was no turning back at that point.  Soon after, the six of us were in a blue van, driving north to Maine.  I took a picture of the 4 kids in the back and sent it to my closest friends.  They were cracking up, they all thought I was crazy for going on this trip, and were relieved to see the kids were happy.  By the time we got to Portland, the kids were totally getting along.  We had dinner and went to the hotel.  It was a suite that had two bedrooms and a shared living room.  The girls decided they wanted to sleep together, so they did, and the boys with their respective parents, in their own room.  The next day we got ready and the funniest thing happened. Without having planned it, the girls were both wearing pink jackets, and the boys blue Gap hoodies.  It was hilarious, we looked at each other and started laughing.  Walking around town, everyone thought we were a big happy family of 6 who liked to dress alike :).

It was a rainy day in Portland, but we still had a good time, and in the afternoon started driving north to Bar Harbor.  Driving through Maine I felt a weird sensation.  I went to college in Massachusetts, and my boyfriend during my senior year was from Maine, so I had been there many times, but had not been back since.  It brought back so many memories!!!  We finally arrived at the rented house in Bar Harbor.  What can I say?  A rented house.  It smelled like cat, and I don't particularly like cats.  It was one of those places where it was better not to look too close.  Still, it was fine.  Four bedrooms, one for the boys (with bunk beds), one for the girls, and one for each of the parents.

The following 4 days were great.  We went to Acadia National Park, walked, hiked and climbed the rocks next to the ocean...what a magnificent site!  The kids were fascinated, they had never seen anything like it.  Strong ocean, waves crashing against the rocks, miles of cliffs in the horizon.  It's incredible to see the power of nature and the way kids interact with it.  We would spend hours, just walking, hiking, playing, contemplating the beauty.  One day, we also went kayaking, each family in a kayak.  That was one of the highlights of the trip.  We paddled to a deserted island and got off.  The kids decided to build a fort, and spent the next couple of hours carrying branches and logs and arranging them side by side in order to build their fort.  It turned out great, they were so proud of their achievement. Those hours in our little private place were priceless.  No television, no video games, no technology, just nature and us....and a camera to take lots of pictures.  The kids wanted to come back the next year to see if the fort was still there.  They were wondering who would find it and what they would do with it...we will never know.  We paddled back (I had a really hard time because of the current, but made it all the way!!!) and felt a sense of peace and accomplishment.  What a special day that was!

The entire time in Bar Harbor was special. Additionally, the soccer world cup was taking place, so we would watch the matches and then explore some more.  We picked rocks, walked around, ate great food.  The risk I took paid off.  It's really hard to find people to travel with (with or without kids), and at the time, I wouldn't have taken this trip alone with my kids.  So it was perfect to find another person with kids of the same ages who enjoy doing the same types of activities.  I have to admit, it did get to a point when it was hard to be with the same people for 24 hours a day, but that's completely normal.  That day (the 5th or 6th), we just decided to go our own way for dinner, and that solved the problem.  Needless to say, the kids got along great, talking, getting to know each other, playing, singing in the back of the van when we were driving, I just felt like the Brady Bunch...RELOADED!  A bilingual modern version of it :)

Our stay in Bar Harbor was over, it was time to drive down the coast to Kennebunkport. What a beautiful drive, all those fishing towns, totally charming and picturesque.  We ate lobster rolls and frequently stopped for pictures.  We finally made it to our destination and that afternoon drove to neighboring beaches.  It was a very gray and dark afternoon, but still breathtaking.  I had never seen such beaches.  One with endless sand, there were people riding their bikes on the compact sand and others playing with their dogs.  We took some incredible pictures there.  Then, there was a beach with no sand, but rocks, small rocks in all shapes and colors.  We brought some back to Miami and they are part of the decoration on my coffee table in the living room.

On our last day, we drove back to Boston, once again stopping in very unique towns.  More beaches, light houses, and quaint streets.  There was some sadness in the air inside the van that day.  Our road trip was coming to an end, our fabulous adventurous road trip, one that would have never taken place if it wasn't for a risk I took. Funny enough, I never felt it was such a big risk, I always thought things would turn out fine.  

We got to the airport and my friend dropped us off since our flight left earlier.  When saying goodbye, my friend handed me 4 seashells he had picked throughout the trip.  It was a little something to remind me of all the wonderful memories we shared.  I keep them in the same crystal bowl with the rocks.  

We have not seen each other again, but we speak all the time, and we frequently remember that incredible trip.  It will be a lifelong friendship.  Very soon, we hope to plan another trip together....another unforgettable trip.  For now, we have the memories, the breathtaking pictures, and the crystal bowl with the rocks and 4 special seashells. Life is about taking risks, I'm convinced of that!! ....and the trip turned out way better than "fine"!