Sometimes things don't work out how you plan or want. This is life. And sometimes, if you get out of the way and let go of your plans, life will surprise you with the best gifts.

Originally our last vacation of the summer was supposed to be to San Diego. But due to scheduling conflicts, we had to cancel that trip. And while I was a little sad, okay maybe a lot sad, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had on our Chicago staycation. And now we have a new family tradition - a Chicago staycation before going back to school. It's not just a stay-cation, it's a Chi-cation!

As the saying goes, “In Life, It’s Not Where You Go, It’s Who You Travel With” – Charles Schulz. And let's be honest, Chicago in the summer is just the best city ever. Here are a few highlights from our family's Chicago Staycation.

There are few pleasures in my life that I treasure more than the opportunity to travel. I love exploring new places and learning about different cultures. Travel teaches us so much and my latest voyage abroad was no different.

I was recently in Berlin for five days with friends. One of my best friends moved there with her family and two of my other best friends were in Europe for work. So clearly, the only logical thing for me to do was to travel to Germany and join them. I will always say yes to travel adventures.

"One's destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller

"How many days will you be in London?" asks the customs official.

I recently discovered the unexpected joy of being lost. Last month, I traveled to London to meet my husband, who was in Europe on work, for a short but very sweet mini-vacation. With little time to plan or book anything, this trip was more about experience than activity. And I discovered that when in doubt about what to do or where to go when traveling, sometimes it's best to just wander.

I love to travel. I also love my daughter. However toddlers and travel don't usually ever go well together.