Kathy Sisson

I grew up taking a magical trip to Disney World almost every year, but our family didn’t really travel anywhere else that wasn’t road-trippable. When I had my own kids, I knew I wanted to expand their horizons and visit new travel destinations, like the many U.S. national parks.

May is the month of Mother’s Day—the one day we should be able to do whatever brings us joy (and not only buy gifts for our MIL). But it also begins the end of school rush, is home to teacher appreciation week, and the final weeks to prep for summer childcare. Some on social media even call this time of year “Maycember.” Many moms find it ironic that the month celebrating moms also rivals the holidays as one of the most stressful times of the year.

When I was 14, I called two boys on my landline phone to ask them to go to a freshman dance with me—they both said “no.” I had braces, blackheads, and a poor attempt at ‘The Rachel’ haircut from Friends, so I don’t blame them now. The rejections were a formative, awkward tween experience I recently recalled to my two daughters, ages 10 and 13.