From the Publisher

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

I love to travel–whether it’s to the beach, an out-of-state football game, visiting with my family in the north, or a simple weekend getaway with my husband. I have had the opportunity to travel abroad when I was younger, to Caribbean islands with my husband, and chill on a cruise ship totally cut off from the hustle and bustle of my daily life. So, basically, what I am saying is, if you say the word "trip," I am 110 percent in! My husband knows not to say anything about an out-of-town meeting before it is confirmed, as I am known to go book a room before the deal is even done. As he always says, he will never be able to stop working because he has to pay for vacations. Well, I think of them as memories we are making with our children, friends, and family. I love getting back from the vacay and flipping through all of the photos or group texts with random funny stuff. Before the vacation is able to start, though, I am a crazy lady around my house. I have to have all of the clothes and towels washed. I want every room cleaned and picked up, and the backyard needs to be secured (you never know what storm is going to blow through here, and I don’t want to lose furniture or pool floats to the lake!). I have the kids packed up early; I have a system with my boys, so it is so easy. I should probably stop and let them pack, but my way is so much easier. Since I am already washing everything, I just wash their stuff, count out the days, and stuff it in a bag. The last one ready is always my husband. We are literally ready to walk out the door and he decides it is shower time. So, I load the car, minus his stuff, and we wait. We never leave on time, but I do have to say we are getting out the door earlier and earlier each vacay we take! One last thing, I am not sure about your littles, but mine drive me bonkers with the same question every single day: “how many more days until we leave?” Then, with technology, they don’t even have to add it up on a calendar. Every day they ask, “Alexa, how many days until July 26?” Well, the joke is on them this time. I have a surprise trip that we leave for in a few days. They have no idea about this one, but I still have to answer the question for our end-of-the-summer beach trip. I can promise you, they will not know about future trips until it’s time to pack! This will definitely help with my anxiety. Safe travels,