Keran Kook (Korea)

Last week my six year old and I had the same week off for spring break and passports itching to be used, so we flew to Glasgow, Scotland to visit with my dad and stepmother. We visited museums, played with walkie-talkies, walked and walked and walked, and (I) indulged in massages and spa treatments. It was a wonderful, relaxing trip, and upon arriving home to Dad and Little Brother, we chose to conquer the jet lag with a new take on takeout night.

In an effort to save money and calories, I made our 'takeout' food at home. We had (pre-cooked) egg rolls baked in the oven, Com Chien, a fried rice (which I've blogged about before), and Keran Kook, egg drop soup. Now I've had this soup many times over in restaurants or as takeout, but I never actually made it before.  It was so easy and so tasty though, which gave this simple appetizer a fresh new flavor. Even Ian, not a fan of soup, slurped it up!

This fresh take on an old favorite gave me the opportunity to reflect on our travels. Ian has traveled extensively in his short life,  but he doesn't really remember it much. Our last big trip was to Thailand two years ago, and while he has flashes of moments, this recent trip was truly a new adventure for him. And his enthusiasm and joy in that adventure was certainly contagious, bringing fresh perspective to the rigors and hassles of traveling.

Each stage of the trip itself brought many questions, about security, where the bags go, what all the vehicles around the plane were doing, etc. The magnitude of all the moving parts of traveling by plane can get lost in the hustle and lines and tedium of airports, but Ian had me stopping and thinking about how exciting it all can be.

While in Scotland, where Ian visited as a toddler but doesn't recall, he wondered over the many forms of transportation (including Granddad's missing car!) and explored a real castle and gobbled fish and chips. We even watched The Wizard of Oz, a favorite movie from my childhood, and this old favorite seemed somehow brighter and more marvelous than I remembered!

For me, one of the joys of being a parent is the new energy and perspective that little eyes and hearts and minds bring to both the mundane and miraculous moments, as well as everything in between. This is perhaps the first trip that Ian will remember clearly in the years ahead, and I hope that the magic of discovering new places and adventures carries him all over the world. And I may be right beside him part of the way!