We love to go to the beach during the colder months. There are no crowds. The streets are virtually empty, which means it is also quiet. We ride bikes up and down all the side streets without worrying about sharing the road. The sand is cold between your toes. Building sandcastles while wearing long sleeves and drinking piping hot coffee is something you need to experience at least once.

 

A couple of years ago we were strolling along the mostly empty shore when a very tall, very skinny kid dressed in red Spandex and a clown-like nose approached us, running. He was panting and wildly brandishing his camera. He asked if we could take a picture with him for a scavenger hunt. His youth group was hosting a Halloween costume party complete with a scavenger hunt. His friends giggled as he posed with a random family on the beach. I couldn’t let him get away without asking what his costume was supposed to be?!

The boys got a huge kick out of this bizarre spectacle. In case you’re wondering…Elmo. Skinny Elmo? But, Elmo. Gotta give him credit for originality. I sure hope he won the scavenger hunt.

 

Recording these memories has become the highlight of our travels! Even my little boys are on the lookout during our adventures for unusual sights or events that are worthy of making our “101” lists. Kids are great at this exercise! They see and hear things you don’t. It is a refreshing vantage point to view your shared experiences. It helps us all stay present and enjoy the moment while spending time together.

Because the trip home is usually not as much fun as the departure, we save this activity for the return trip. It’s amazing...the boys get so excited on the last night of our trip anticipating creating our list the next day.

If you find it difficult to get your list going, press on. Once you get past the basics, the obvious events, and get to #64 or so, you will be surprised at all the particulars you begin to remember. Don’t let yourselves off the hook with, “Ate dinner at Stinky’s Fish Camp.” Look for the details that make the excursion your own. Maybe your son laughed so hard, he spewed water on his brother while eating dinner at Stinky’s Fish Camp. That makes a much better “fish tale”!

 

We don’t let ourselves off the hook with “went to the beach.” Oh, no. That is far too ordinary to make our “101”!  We are looking for the details that make our excursion our own.  Like the time we visited a precious little gourmet shop in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was a “do not touch” store with high shelves of delicate glass containers filled with goodness, and the boys were on their best behavior. There were overflowing trays of products to sample.

I rarely sample anything. Something about being left out all day + other people’s germs + the OCD in me. But, there was this honey. Lavender honey. It was a creamy yellow opaque color wrapped in the most beautifully minimalist packaging with a dainty little logo. I couldn’t resist. I grabbed a tasting spoon and savored the smooth texture and the way it coated the inside of my mouth. As I was placing the used spoon in the basket, I realized that I had grabbed a used spoon to taste?! OH MY GOSH. My worst nightmare. Really. I thought I would gag. On the spot. My sweet children…who only want the best for their mother…laughed so hard when I told them what I had done. They cackled until they cried. My husband took the opportunity to poke fun and tell random strangers for months afterward in conversation. This. This made it to our list.

 

We would likely forget these little details if we did not write them down. (I want to forget the honey incident!) My husband and I started this tradition shortly after we were married in 1999. I was a big scrapbooker then. When I had tons of time and no children. We have lists from all our jaunts. Even if we took a day trip, we would come up with 101 note-worthy events!

 

So get to it! Make those memories and write them down. You’ll be so glad you did.

 

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