A few years ago I read about a dad that gave his children a 10-year-old adventure. The idea was that when a child turns 10 they can decide on an "adventure trip" that they want to take, and he would make it happen. Just them and dad. I liked the idea so much that I stole it. Soon after I read about it, I sat the kids down and told them my plans. At the time our oldest, Jersey, was probably 8. Unfortunately, Jerseys 10-y-o adventure was planned for 2020, so it got derailed. We have it rescheduled for next spring. So Atticus was next up. I asked him what he wanted to do for his 10-y-o adventure. His response was interesting, but if you know him, you understand. This kid is a little history buff, specifically American history. So I wasn't at all shocked when he said he wanted to go to Washington D.C. and visit the Ford's Theater where President Lincoln was shot. Not wanting to try to influence the decision at all, I simply said: "done". Then I started planning. Now, I've been to D.C. a couple of times, and I love the grandeur of the city. I knew Atticus would be amazed by the larger-than-life aspects of the buildings and monuments. He was, and we saw all the sights. We took selfies at the feet of the Lincoln and King memorial, checked out every statue that we came across, visited multiple museums, paid our respects at Arlington, and viewed the city from the top of the Washington Monument and the top of the Old Post Office Tower. The trip was everything both of us hoped it would be. The most interesting visit though, was the Ford's Theater. Not only did we get to immerse ourselves in this historic venue, we also experienced it in a unique way. We participated in a "history on foot" event. During this event, there was an actor portraying a detective in period dress that walked us through the events of April 14-15 1865. We walked the same path that Booth took out of the theater, and visited the location of the other accomplices as he unraveled the mystery of what had "just" happened. It was thorough and fascinating, and it's something I would have never done were it not for the request Atticus made. Childhood curiosity is something we could all use a little more of, as we seem to lose it as we age. Building a system to introduce some of it into your life is probably a good idea. This 10-y-o adventure idea was supposed to enrich the lives of the children, and I hope it does just that. Right now it's hard to say who's life was enriched the most, mine or his. | 
