But aren't you a little old to spend summer vacation at Mommy and Daddy's?

Yes, yes I am.  So why am I doing it? There's not really one reason, more like a bunch of factors that all happened to coincide.

First and foremost, as I alluded to in my last post, the DC region is unbelievably yucky in the summer. I often feel like I missed out on summer entirely because it just isn't enjoyable to be outdoors. So the opportunity for my daughter to get to play outside in the grass instead of hiding from the heat in the air conditioning is quite appealing.

Also, my mom is a teacher and doesn't work in the summer. My dad has a flexible work schedule and lots of unused vacation days. And my dear dear sister, who lives in Madrid, will also be visiting during the same time period. So there's THAT.

Finally, the classes my husband needs to complete his Master's degree have a condensed schedule during the summer, so there will be multiple days during the week where he will leave the house before 7 am and not get home until 9 pm. And he will have plenty of reading and papers to keep him busy on the off nights and on the weekends. So we really wouldn't be seeing much of him anyway. Instead, he's going to take a 3 or 4 day weekend midway through our stay in Massachusetts and fly up for some quality family time.

Not to mention the opportunities to hang out with my Boston-based buddies, my Connecticut-based extended family, and my Massachusetts-based in-laws.

Also, in case you haven't gathered, I'm quite fond of New England in and of itself. I'm looking forward to seeing the sights with a vacationer's eyes and to making memories with my daughter in the places that form my own most treasured childhood memories.