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WHO ARE THEY? - Nicole is an Indiana girl who is busy raising up her two young sons, referred to in her blog as Big Arrow and Little Arrow. Nicole claims that the title of her blog is drawn from a Kahlil Gibran quote: "You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth", but I'm pretty sure it's got something to do with the Hunger Games. Nicole strikes me as kind of a Katniss type. I can see her with a baby in a carrier on the front and a quiver of arrows on her back. I wonder if her husband is from District 12?
WHAT DO THEY WRITE ABOUT? - Before the arrival of the Arrows, Nicole and her husband used to travel the world. Now their travels have a distinctly more local feel to them but, much to my surprise, there's no shortage of things to do in the Indiana area. Seriously, if I had been planning a trip to Indiana, I would have included the Indianapolis 500 and a Colts game. After that I would have been stuck. Now I want to go do the Indianapolis Canal Walk, check out the Children's Museum, visit the Indianapolis Zoo, and time my trip so I can attend the Indiana State Fair. They'd probably make me an honorary citizen of Indiana if I could actually cheer for the Colts (Go Dolphins!).
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THEM - If you have younger kids, this site is a treasure trove of information on great places in the Midwest to visit. Of course, there's lots of great posts from outside the Midwest as well. Florida, Massachusetts and Arizona all have their own section on Arrows Sent Forth. Nothing on Kelowna though. It's strange how many great bloggers have never made their way up to Kelowna. We should start a Canadian version of the Hunger Games. Then maybe we could get Nicole up here to visit.
WHERE YOU SHOULD START - You outdoorsy types who enjoy camping probably aren't getting a whole lot of great information about it from my site, so here's a fantastic article just for you. Things I Learned While Camping with a Toddler is a great starting point for those of you who are crazy enough to enjoy sleeping outdoors. If you're a city boy like me, give SkyDeck Chicago with Kids a read, although I might even consider camping before I'd actually try stepping out on that ledge.
MY FAVORITE POST - Once you have kids, your travel style is going to change. It's going to involve more planning, a whole lot more luggage, and WAY less alcohol. It doesn't mean that you have to keep your two travel lives separate though. Nicole tells the story of a visit to Spain with her husband from before they had children and how Pepe the Mouse has made the transition from that first trip into their bedtime routine of their new life with kids. Probably better than reading them the Hunger Games for a bedtime story anyways.
