TRAVEL — Money is Time — by Guest Mom Burgin Streetman

My husband and I enjoyed our honeymoon before the marriage — taking a sabbatical from our careers to fly round the world. I’ve always thought Social Security should fund a brief mid-life retirement so people can recharge or switch gears if they want to. Sans a government check, we worked, saved up, and loved every hard-earned minute of our new found freedom, but anywho... 16 countries and seven months later, we thought if we can come out of that close-quartered experience still loving each other, we must be doing something right.

The moment August was conceived we began planning and saving for various trips back to share our favorite spots. The safari through Tanzania he’ll take at 11, where he’ll poke his head through the sunroof of a Land Cruiser and see a lion in the wild for the first time. The summer between junior high and high school when the whole family will grab Eurail passes and explore the French countryside. Sipping coffee with August and his fiancé in Hanoi right before their wedding day. To me, saving up for these big life journeys is just as vital as a 529. We’re not loaded either, so these trips have already found their way onto my husband’s savings spreadsheet. Though I realize that’s not the dreamiest sentiment, in the long run, the payoff will be priceless.

We recently attended a friend’s wedding in New Mexico, and in lieu of a traditional registry, they registered online with Traveler’s Joy. I wish this had been around five years ago when we got hitched. Instead of registering for flatware and a china pattern (most of my friends got married over 30 and already had that kind of stuff anyway), they registered for all things honeymoon-related from plane tickets, a new camera, and matching luggage to candlelit dinners on the beach, UV-protective hoodies, and snorkel trips for two. Way more romantic than a toaster oven.

Shoot, a registry like this could work as a funnel for your child’s graduation gifts. Or for a baby shower! Or maybe you already wanna start planning a second honeymoon? Or would that be like registering for a second baby shower? Too presumptuous?