The author and her husband taking their son on a hike to see the fall foliage
Courtesy of Renate Flanagan.
In my early 30s, I was living the quintessential DINK (dual-income, no kids) lifestyle. My partner and I had established careers, no children, and PTO to burn.During one 12-month period, we averaged taking a trip every other month. We went hiking in Acadia National Park and Arizona. We rented a house with a pool and went biking around Sanibel Island in Florida. We explored Joshua Tree National Park, attempted a 14er in Colorado, and visited four different national parks in Washington State.My husband and I were always on the same page about wanting a child, eventually, but I was worried that having a family would bring our adventurous lifestyle to a screeching halt. Luckily, I was wrong.I thought having a kid would end our adventuresBefore trying to get pregnant, I planned a last hurrah for us as a childless couple. We road-tripped around Mexico, exploring ancient Mayan ruins, swimming in cenotes, and sipping various permutations of agave beverages.
Before having kids, the author and her husband enjoyed traveling a lot. Here they are shown during a road trip around Spain and Portugal.
