A few years ago I was listening to a podcast, or was it a book I was reading??? Oh well, who knows at this point? Either way, the person in question wanted a way to deepen his relationship with his kids. Specifically, while they were still impressionable, and interestingly before they reached the "preteen" stage. His idea was to gift his children a 10-year-old adventure. The children would get to pick a location that they were interested in, then the dad would make all the arrangements (with the child's input on landmarks, etc...). The trips were not intended to be lengthy or meticulously planned, just a time where they would have all of dads attention. I was a little enamored with this idea and wanted to copy it. I saw it as an opportunity to show kids that they can belong anywhere, by thrusting them firsthand into a location that they had only read about. I also feel like this idea fosters a "let's dream it, and then go do it" spirit that I want to develop in my kids. Obviously, I ran my idea by Julie first, and with her blessing, I informed the kids that they would be able to take a trip with me upon their 10th birthday. In this age of instant gratification, they appreciated the gesture, but since our oldest, Jersey, was only 8, It fell a little flat. As they got closer to 10, interest started to build. Finally one day, Jersey said, "dad, I know where I want to go on my 10YOA." I said "That's great. Where?" She said, "I want to see a moose." "O.K," I said. "I'll see what I can do." After a fairly exhaustive googling experience, I learned that you can likely see a moose in 3 general places in the United States. Alaska, Maine, or Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The twist in this story becomes evident when you know that Jersey turned 10 in December of 2019. By the time we were just getting ready to do the real planning, the world went into a tailspin. Needless to say, we didn't get to have that 10YOA as we planned.
Fast forward to this past September when Atticus turned 10. He knew he wanted to go to Washington D.C. Specifically he wanted to see Ford's Theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot. We saw that and much more on our trip. Washington D.C. was everything Atticus hoped for.
Getting back to Jersey. It wasn't Jersey's fault she turned 10 right before a pandemic. The trip with Atticus reignited my fire for the 10YOA. When I returned home from the Washington trip with Atticus, I told Jersey that I owed her an adventure. I also told her that I know she has grown up and changed, so if she had a different location or idea for her trip, that was just fine. A few days later she said, "Dad, can we go see a broadway play for my 10YOA?" So I said "Sure".
This choice wasn't surprising, Jersey has enjoyed acting in several performances over the past couple of years. Including the leading role of Jasmine in our local community theater performance of Aladin last summer. This past weekend we celebrated a 13-year-old adventure as it were. Jersey and I had a fantastic time in New York. We stayed in a very tall building (her request), climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty, and stood in the spot atop the Empire State Building where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan finally met (she's a fan of Sleepless in Seattle). We also saw not 1, but 2 shows on Broadway, MJ the musical at the Niel Simon Theater, and Wicked at the Gershwin Theater. Most importantly we were able to spend quality time, laugh together, and have meaningful conversations that brought us closer.
Time is fleeting, and yes, she is growing up. I couldn't help but think about the beautiful smart little kid that I would have taken to see a moose 3 years ago, as I was taking a beautiful smart young lady to see a Broadway play. Jersey has always been a great kid, and it is a pleasure to watch her grow into a wonderful young lady. Our goal has always been to raise good adults, not just happy kids. Hopefully, we are able to push all the right buttons and pull the right levers to do just that. I definitely think a 10YOA is a step in the right direction.
