THALALO

Our family of four leads a pretty common day-to-day life in downtown manhattan. We have two demanding careers as a freelance commercial photographer and a banker, with trying schedules and irregular hours.  We have two small children (a son almost 5 and a daughter 2 1/2).  And we live in an apartment (large by new york city standards, unlivable by anyone else’s) with no outdoor space to speak of.

Before children, my husband and I traveled frequently and led a covetable life; we stayed out late, lingered at Zagat 25+ restaurants, and used every spare moment as an excuse to try something new (rock climbing, snowboarding, sailing…) or fly somewhere new (Tuscany, Virgin Gorda, Botswana…).  Then, with the arrival of one and then two children, we found our carefree existence suddenly and cruelly halt. Our urban lives were reduced to kiddie birthday parties, playdates, nanny scheduling, and text messaging.

In recent years, we have been trying to regain our previous glory; except now, we are trying to adventure with kids in tow.  We like to believe that a successful trip with children doesn’t necessarily involve a Club Med or Disney Cruise (although both sound quite appealing right now).  Traveling with kids is like traveling with an arm tied to your ankle — odd and uncomfortable, but interesting.

If you have any ideas or inspiration on the subject please let us know at info@thalalo.com.