Postcards from the Lake District: Tarn Hows Hike

When I read about the hike at Tarn Hows in the Lake District, it went straight to the top of my things to do list. If you hike much with young kids, you know it's always a toss up as to how well they'll actually walk on their own two legs without complaining or flat out refusing.

This hike not only looked gorgeous, but it was wheelchair accessible so we could bring our umbrella stroller and use that if anyone got too lazy tired. Which meant our two mile trek through some of the most gorgeous scenery of my life was relatively complaint free. The chance to breath in this air and admire these views in relative peace was outstanding. It's probably my favorite memory of the trip.

In fact, it was so scenic that while sometimes Big and Little Arrow fight over who gets to sit in the stroller, Big Arrow could not get enough of this hike. At some moments he was sprinting ahead of us, eager to see what was coming next. At other times, he was enjoying little discoveries made along the way and had to be reminded to keep up with the group. I loved watching him embrace his environment so enthusiastically.

Little Arrow wasn't quite so keen, but happily sat in the stroller or on dad's shoulders, which was good enough for us.

As Christmas approaches, I get a lump in my throat each time I think about the fact that I won't be wandering into my mom's kitchen and smelling those delicious aromas again this year. I won't see my dad, over in the corner on his recliner, catching some zzz's despite the chaos of the grandkids running around. But I look at these photos and I'm reminded of how lucky I am that our families have the ability and the willingness to visit us, and that we've made these incredible memories with them while living abroad for a few years. This hike is certainly one of those moments that bring me immense gratitude.

With that said, I'm off to Paris in a few days to see my inlaws, a trip we've all been anxiously anticipating for months now. More to come in 2015... we wish you all a wonderful and happy holiday season.

This post is a part of Friday Postcards at Walking on Travels.