Grand Rapids 2018.

We usually visit North America in the summer, but because this year's trip was a bit earlier due to my sister-in-law's wedding, Arden and I got to witness Michigan in all its springtime glory. While the weather wasn't consistently pleasant, we saw some beautiful spring colours and enjoyed a few warm days in the Midwestern sunshine.

When I visited Grand Rapids in 2015 during my pregnancy with Arden, I got to attend a Grand Rapids Symphony performance at DeVos Hall, blissfully imagining the day when I'd be able to bring our cute little offspring to one of my mom's performances. And this year, I kind of got to do just that.

toddler choral conducting lesson #1

Our May visit wasn't the most convenient timing for my mother's performance/world tour schedule (right before our visit she was in NYC for a performance at Carnegie Hall; during our visit she had three performances over two weekends; a few days after our visit, she was off to Ireland for a choir tour), but it meant that Arden got to attend various choral rehearsals and concerts, watching her Ahma hard at work. She's a well-behaved toddler, but I didn't know what to expect when we brought her to see the Calvin Capella rehearse and later perform - but she did really really well! She didn't make a peep, watched intently and sat extremely still during the program which included Monteverdi motets, Ola Gjeilo's Dark Night of the Soul and one of my favourite pieces, Sing Me to Heaven by Daniel Gawthrop.

at the Capella concert

Arden did so well during the Capella concert that we brought her to hear the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses (one of which I was a member of, a few... decades ago? oh dear) the very next day. Again, Arden was very quiet and well-behaved, tapping her foot during a more upbeat piece and gently swaying during a melancholy song.

We were also in town for the Grand Rapids Symphony's performance of Beethoven's 9th, which I got to attend (alone) - although we brought Arden to the dress rehearsal, where she relished the new experience of being in a huge concert hall, her first exposure to a full orchestra with chorus. Even though it was a rehearsal, she was on her best behaviour, even whispering to me when she wanted to take her jacket off. And I didn't even know she was capable of whispering.

I got to run my first Michigan road race, the River Bank Run (the main event is a 25k, which I didn't care to train for - but they also hold 10k and 5k events, the latter of which I decided to enter). I didn't run quite as fast as I had hoped (I had trained in Melbourne the month prior, but didn't have much time to run during our entire Washington visit), but my main goal was just to experience a race in Grand Rapids, and that I did.

My family took us to the usual Grand Rapids attractions: the John Ball Zoo, Meijer Gardens, Meijer (totally not the same as the gardens - if you know, you know), GR Children's Museum, various libraries, parks and bookstores.

family sandbox time at the Children's museum

children's area at Meijer Gardens

Japanese gardens

Calder plaza

Arden loved being at my family's house as well, with two flights of stairs to climb up and down, lots of bedrooms to hang out in, and of course her Uncle Gabe's basement filled with toys, books, video games and a giant train table (that my dad had graciously lowered just for her!). She pounded on the grand piano, enjoyed turning light switches on and off, and I even took out my collection of old Playmobil toys for her to scatter around the house.

I got to see a few local friends as well (apologies to everyone I didn't get to see during this trip!), and it was fun to catch up and enjoy some of Beer City USA's finest offerings.

I'm always anxious about flying alone with Arden, but this year's plane rides (both domestic and international) went much MUCH better than last year's travel experiences. Even though Arden got sick during our last few days in Michigan and threw up at LAX, the 16-hour flight back to Melbourne was actually not too terrible. The biggest difference between flying with a 1.5 year old and a 2.5 year old is that the latter is more easily entertained by things like movies and television shows and sticker books and M&M's, while the former prefers screaming her lungs out for seven hours straight because she's overtired. You know, little differences. Oh, and because she no longer flies for free, she gets her own seat - and the extra room makes a big difference. Even if she still prefers sitting on laps.

And as usual, my mom insisted on flying with us from Grand Rapids to LA so I wouldn't have to make the entire international journey home alone (and so she could have some extra cuddle time with Arden!). Hopefully international travel (and travel in general) with Arden just gets easier and easier every year. So far, Arden has been on... 28 separate airplanes, in 2.5 years. She'll be a pro wanderluster by the age of 5.

Arden and I had a wonderful time in Grand Rapids this year. Thanks to our family and friends for a great visit!

Candice