...because home doesn't happen overnight.

surprise DC trip

In the fall of 2011, I surprised the boys with a road trip to Washington, D.C. (Technically, Mabrey went too, but she was just a bump. Can you see her?) I was still working as a pharmacist at the time and managed to get a rare Friday off that coincided with a long weekend for the boys. A few weeks prior, I had called my sister (who lived in Fairfax, Virginia, at the time) to see if she’d be interested in having some visitors. She quickly said, “Yes!”

On the Thursday before the long weekend, while Layne and Everett were at school and daycare, respectively, I packed their bags and loaded up the car with snacks and pillows. I picked Everett up from daycare then we drove home and waited for Layne to get off the bus. We didn’t even get out of the car. I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when Layne climbed in and I revealed my secret. They were so excited! They couldn’t believe we were up and leaving in the middle of a perfectly normal afternoon. The wonderful part is they were more excited about being surprised than actually going on a road trip.

surprise DC trip

Years later, they still bring up that mini vacation. The thing they remember most is me surprising them – not seeing the Lincoln Memorial or riding the Metro.

Have you ever planned a surprise vacation? Would you ever sign up for a surprise vacation? (Apparently, it’s the new way to travel.) Do you even like surprises? I like surprising my kids with trips, but I don’t know if I could give up complete control of vacation planning! We’re leaving for a little family vacation tomorrow. The kids know we’re driving somewhere and will be gone for a few days, but Steve and I haven’t told them where we’re going yet.

P.S. – That one time I was wifenapped.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

21 Comments

01.April.2016

I think when the kids get to a certain age, it can be tricky doing the surprise destination thing. At some point they need to start making their own plans, packing their own stuff, etc for a vacation… like adults. So at some point it stops being practical.

Unless it’s something short and sweet of course – like a weekend trip out of town somewhere not far away. Plan it but keep the destination to yourself… yanno… I think it can be a great couples thing. ;)

01.April.2016

You sound so happy! I am so glad to hear happy in your voice again, and spontaneous posts about you and your life. So what if it’s not about a home, what makes a home are the people in it. No such thing as off topic here :) Congrats, have fun! No surprise trips for me, but it is a GREAT idea. I am envious actually we could use a get away. Ohhhh and great way to celebrate being debt free.

01.April.2016

Yes! For my hubby’s 30th. Surprise 1: weekend in Vegas (from Minnesota). Surprise 2: a bunch of our family in the limo that picked us up for a midnight tour of the strip. He loved it. Though I probably had more fun planning it

01.April.2016

I surprised my husband on his 50th birthday with a trip to South Dakota to see his college roommate.
It was fun! And he had a great time.

01.April.2016

I have never had a surprise vacation or planned one but sure would love that.

02.April.2016

We surprised my son with a trip to Disney when he was 4. He didn’t know where we were going until we drove into the parking lot. The look of elated joy on his face and his squeels and laughter were so worth it!

It would be cool to plan the surprise but not sure if I could handle someone springing something as big as a vacation on me.

02.April.2016

Growing up, my parents surprised us several times with road trips and it was SO fun. Those are some of my fondest memories. What kid doesn’t want to be surprised at breakfast that they are going to Disneyland and leaving in an hour?! My mom had the car all packed with snacks and games and things to do during our 17 hour drive. They also surprised us with trips to Seattle, Mt. Rushmore and Michigan.
I checked out the the Pack Up + Go site and I think it sounds really fun. My husband and I’s 11th anniversary is coming up this summer, and this could be perfect. Thanks for the idea!

02.April.2016

How fun! We were part of a 40th surprise trip for a friend and are actually in the process of surprising someone.

My hubby planned for my family to meet us on the trip we took to Napa for my 30th. It was such a surprise and I ugly cried with happiness! :)

02.April.2016

We’ve done this twice with our kids. The first time was 2 years ago, we told them we were going to Florida and they were excited, but once we got there and they found out we were going to Disney World they freaked out! Then last year, we took a cruise and they knew that was happening but we left out that it was a Disney cruise, they were super excited to find out that their favorite characters would be spending the week at sea with us.

02.April.2016

We surprise our three boys (now 12, 12, and 9) all the time with adventures big and small… Showing up at Legoland Discovery Center in Chicago on the way home from Pennsylvania (this one got me “best mom ever.”) A Christmas gift of a weekend adventure in Des Moines (their invitations told them what to pack.) The biggest one though was their first airplane ride to San Diego. We didn’t tell them anything until we got to the airport at 5 in the morning. It was epically awesome to see those surprised faces. They also talk about our “field trips” (that’s what they called them when they were littler), and how much fun they were.

04.April.2016

How fun! My daughter turns 16 this November and I’ve booked a cruise for her birthday that we will take over Thanksgiving break! That will be a surprise but also that I invited one of her friends along as well – the friend doesn’t know yet either! Cannot wait to tell them!

04.April.2016

I want to plan a surprise weekend trip for my husbands 30th this December! A couple we know did that and I thought it was such a fun idea. Though technically it won’t be too different than our usual vacations. I plan all of our vacations and he just gets to enjoy it. ;) He’s been working long hours at work and is working on his MBA. I’m thinking something easy, romantic and relaxing like an all inclusive.

04.April.2016

I’ve organized surprise trips for my husband and my mother, so I think it’s completely feasible even with older kids. I packed their bags, got their passports, requested their presence somewhere so we could then head out and they didn’t know where we were going. I pack my husbands bag and then store it in the attic closet full without him being suspicious. It’s so much fun!

04.April.2016

We surprised our oldest daughter with a trip to Disneyland last year. We mostly did it so she wouldn’t ask every 5 seconds when we were going but we managed to keep the surprise until we arrived at the airport and even filmed telling her about it. Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AGAeDTkK38

It was fantastic! I wouldn’t do it for every trip but that one was special for her and she still talks about it just about every week.

04.April.2016

I haven’t managed to do this for someone else yet, but my husband surprised me for our honeymoon!
I thought we were staying in the states and just doing an amusement park for a day or something (we were straight out of college and pooooor.)
But turns out his reclusive grandfather he hadn’t seen in 10 years had gotten a hold of him when we got engaged and offered to pay for a nice trip. My hubs had my mom & sister pack for me and didn’t tell me until he drove me to the airport that we were going to Jamaica!! Best surprise ever. :)

XO, Jaclyn

04.April.2016

Generally, I don’t like surprises, but I have long held the hope that my husband will someday surprise me with a) a vacation, and b) a kitten or puppy. Obviously, not on the *same* day. I just can’t imagine anything more fun than being whisked away on a surprise getaway that I don’t have to plan and organize, except perhaps coming home to find a brand new kitten or puppy to snuggle! I’ve been casually mentioning my dreams of being surprised in these ways for the past 7 years and they haven’t happened yet, but I remain hopeful!

I do love surprising other people. Maybe I should give someone else a surprise kitten? LOL: )

04.April.2016

I planned a surprise trip to NYC as a birthday present. I was pretty proud of myself for pulling it off. It all started with a dog eared review of a play- Chekhov’s,The Cherry Orchard. About two weeks later, I pulled our packed suitcase out from underneath the bed and announced that we were heading to Manhattan in the morning. It was magic. Thanks for reminding me of a very good time in my life.

05.April.2016

I have a white linen bedding question… I know that this isn’t the post where you wrote about the new linen bedding, but over 1,000 comments… I love not having a flat sheet. I love white bedding. I love the look of linen. BUT- I find that now I share a bed with my husband, my white sheets get SO STAINED. I can tell which side of the bed is his. The sheets turn gray and look dirty. Washing every other week in hot water and Oxy Clean didn’t help. It’s not like my husband is a really dirty, greasy guy, but he is a guy and he does prefer to shower in the morning. Have you noticed this?? How often are you washing and with what? And also- does the linen feel rough or unpleasant before it’s softened with repeated washing?

06.April.2016

NEVER AGAIN!!! I surprised my 2 boys ( aged 4 and 6 at the time) with a trip to Disney World. My little order loving, schedule needing kids FREAKED OUT! Full melt down, cried for about 20 minutes. Then we all got in the car and had a good vacation. BUT… lesson learned. we now prep the kids with news of anything big happening for several weeks in advance. OTOH, I would love to have my hubby wife-nap me.

11.April.2016

Our new sheet and duvet cover felt great right from the start, although it does get better and better with each wash. I use Seventh Generation (lavender + eucalyptus) plus OxiClean. After a few years on our previous sheets, you could also see where my hubby slept. Grrrrr. They are strange beings, aren’t they? Anyway, I haven’t noticed his “man spot” yet and it’s been almost five months. I will continue to wash regularly and, if something comes up, a long soak in OxiClean might do the trick.