I have written before about my “Traveling Home,” my beloved minivan. It’s true – if it came down to it, I could probably survive for weeks in this gather-all filled with snacks, drinks, toys, reading material, clothing, and shoes. Our vehicle is ever-important to my family’s survival and so, too, is our stroller – my (second) traveling home.
I was given a double stroller as a gift from some dear family friends after the birth of our twins. Even then, I couldn’t have imagined how critical this hardware would become to our survival. I opted for the front and back double, knowing that I needed a baby vehicle that could easily slide in and out of doctor’s office doors, down narrow hallways, and in and out of small aisles. With twin babies and a two year old in tow, this thing was my getaway car and needed to be everywhere I was. It allowed me the freedom to escape from our house, to be outside, and to make sure my babies could see the world.
Our stroller has been such a Godsend. It has literally navigated life’s twists and turns with our family, and has been a constant on adventures too countless to name. Up and down the State of California, Denver, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Hawaii, and Nevada. This thing has traveled everywhere with us, providing our backs with a respite, our plethora of snacks a receptacle, and our children a place to rest their heads and feet.
It struck me the other day how little I use my stroller these days, with our youngest now four years old. I never, ever, could imagine a day in our earlier life when I would no longer need my stroller daily. But just as quickly as time passes, so, too, has our need for this carrier.
Now don’t get me wrong – no matter how much our family has physically outgrown this amazing double stroller, I still relish those days where I am able to use it. It’s our carry-all. The place to store my purse, our snacks and food, water bottles, sweatshirts and jackets, books, and everything else required for a day-trip on foot. Just last month I brought our second traveling home to San Francisco with us for the day to view the Christmas decor in San Francisco, knowing Quinn would likely struggle with a long day of walking and, of course, hiking up all the crazy steep hills there. I was dripping sweat pushing him up a few of those hills, but clearly needed the cargo-carrier for more than just my babe.
I know our days of relying on our beloved stroller are numbered, but I plan to run this thing into the ground and soak up every last adventure with this trusted vessel. And when the day comes that we finally let this baby go, we’ll do so with so many wonderful memories of the adventures it allowed.
